NEW DELHI: The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has approved a 50 per cent increase in the ceiling prices of eleven essential scheduled formulations of eight drugs, aiming to ensure continued availability for public health needs.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the decision was made on October 8, during a full Authority meeting, utilising the extraordinary powers granted under Para 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. The move aims to address the financial viability of manufacturing these drugs without compromising the mandate to provide affordable medication.
The NPPA’s primary objective is to ensure that essential medicines are available at reasonable prices. However, manufacturers have increasingly sought price revisions due to factors such as rising costs of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), escalating production expenses, and fluctuations in exchange rates. Many companies also applied to discontinue specific formulations, citing unsustainable production and marketing costs under the current pricing regulations.
The revised ceiling prices cover drugs that play a vital role in the treatment of conditions like asthma, glaucoma, thalassemia, tuberculosis and mental health disorders. These medications are often used as first-line treatments in public health programmes, and the price adjustments aim to prevent shortages or market withdrawal due to production challenges.
Ensuring the availability of these drugs is critical to maintaining effective healthcare delivery in the country. The list of drugs affected by the price increase includes Benzyl Penicillin 10 lakh IU injection, Atropine injection 0.6 mg/ml, Streptomycin powder for injection (750 mg and 1000 mg), Salbutamol tablet (2 mg and 4 mg) and respirator solution (5 mg/ml), Pilocarpine 2 per cent drops, Cefadroxil tablet 500 mg, Desferrioxamine 500 mg for injection, and Lithium tablets 300 mg.
Similar measures were taken in 2019 and 2021, when ceiling prices for 21 and 9 formulations, respectively, were increased by 50 per cent. These interventions highlight the NPPA’s ongoing efforts to strike a balance between maintaining drug affordability and ensuring their availability, particularly for treatments that are crucial to the nation’s healthcare system. (ANI)