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Prices of 56 important medicines used in treatment of cancer, diabetes, bacterial infections and blood pressure have been capped by the government, thereby reducing the cost by an average of 25 per cent.
Drug price regulator National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), however, has also increased prices of some of the smaller volume packs of commonly used intravenous fluids such as glucose and sodium chloride injections.
Products of major pharmaceutical firms, including Abbott Healthcare, Cipla, Lupin, Alembic, Alkem Laboratories, Novartis, Biocon, Intas Pharmaceuticals, Hetero Healthcare and the erstwhile Ranbaxy (now Sun Pharmaceutical Industries) will be affected by the new price cap announced by the NPPA.
“The prices of drugs have been reduced by an average of 25 per cent. In some cases, the reduction is 10-15 per cent, while for others it is up to 45-50 per cent,” NPPA Chairman Bhupendra Singh told PTI .
He added that out of these, for the 31 scheduled formulations packs of IV Fluids, the NPPA has increased prices in the case of small-volume packs, while reducing it for large-volume packs.
The NPPA, in its notifications for the fixed/revised ceiling prices, said: “The manufacturers not complying with the ceiling price and notes specified herein … shall be liable to deposit the overcharged amount along with interest thereon...”
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