The panel of ministers deliberating on the controversial pharma pricing policy has reportedly reached a broad consensus.

Quoting unnamed people familiar with the developments, CNBC reported that Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar-led Group of Ministers (GoM) agreed to limit price control just to the National List of Essential Medicines.

In a high profile meeting on Thursday, the GoM agreed that price regulation should be limited to only 348 essential medicines and their 614 dosages as detailed in the National List of Essential Medicines, and should not include combinations of drugs.

It should be a great respite for pharma companies because the earlier proposal was also to include all essential drugs' combinations, which that would have swelled the span of control to more than 75 per cent of drugs.

After reaching broad consensus, the GoM now aims to finalise every thing by the end of next week.

The report quoted Pawar saying, "Our desire is to finalise everything in the next 8-10 days time. Next weekend, we will finalise everything."

Last week, the Supreme Court of Indian had condemned the government for its failure in determining long-delayed drug pricing policy. The apex court had set a deadline of September 27 for the government to decide on the policy, failing which the court will pass an interim order.