The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has given its nod to a one-time price hike of the lifesaving drugs - Carbamazepine, Ranitidine and Ibuprofen by 50 per cent from the present ceiling limit, as per its notification. According to the latest revision, depending upon the dosage form and strength, Carbamazepine would range between ₹1.02 to ₹4.61 per tablet, Ranitidine between ₹1.10-₹2.43 per tablet and Ibuprofen in the price range of ₹0.59-₹1.04 per tablet. These prices are exclusive of goods and service tax or GST, the notification said.

The manufacturers of these tablets include Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Cadila Pharmaceuticals, Zydus Cadila, Sun Pharmaceuticals, Intas, Abbott, Cipla and J B Chemicals.

The decision of price hike was done on the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Affordable Medicine and Health Products (SCAMHP), as these drugs are used as a first line of treatment and are important to the public health program of the country.

“Further, the mandate of NPPA is to ensure availability of drugs at affordable prices and it was noted that while ensuring affordability, access cannot be jeopardised and the lifesaving essential drugs must remain available to the general public at all times,” the notification said.

“Therefore, the NPPA is of the considered view that unviability of these formulations should not lead to a situation, where these drugs become unavailable in the market and the public is forced to switch to costly alternatives,” it further added.

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