NPPA capped the trade margin for Oxygen
Concentrators at 70% on Price to Distributor (PTD) level
NPPA has fixed ceiling prices of 355
medicines and 882 formulations for including Paracetamol, Dexamethasone, Methyl
Prednisolone, IVIGs, Enoxaparin, Budesonide, Heparin and Amphotericin
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA)
under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, as an on-going process, with the help of
Price Monitoring & Resource Units (PMRUs) and State Drug Controllers (SDCs)
undertake activities related to market-based data collection, monitoring of the
notified prices of medicines and detection of violation of the provisions of Drug
(Price Control) Order, 2013 (DPCO, 2013).
NPPA fixes the ceiling prices of scheduled formulations
as per provisions of DPCO, 2013 and monitors the prices of non-scheduled drugs so
as to ensure that their prices do not increase beyond 10 percent in a year. NPPA
has fixed ceiling prices of 355 medicines and 882 formulations for medicines under
National List of Essential Medicines, 2015 (Schedule-I of DPCO, 2013). Most of the
drugs that are part of COVID management protocol have ceiling prices, viz., Paracetamol,
Dexamethasone, Methyl Prednisolone, IVIGs, Enoxaparin, Budesonide, Heparin and Amphotericin
etc. In the case of few non-scheduled medicines like Remdesivir, which are part
of COVID protocol and are non-scheduled, on Government intervention, MRPs of various
brands of Remdesivir have been reduced voluntarily by the major manufacturers/marketers
of the Remdesivir Injection (lyophilized).
Inter-brand MRPs that varied up to Rs 5400/ per
vial were brought down to less than Rs 3500/-.
Furthermore, to facilitate availability and ensure
affordability, NPPA has capped the trade margin for Oxygen Concentrators at 70%
on Price to Distributor (PTD) level vide notification dated 3rd June,
2021 and on Pulse Oximeter, Glucometer, BP Monitor, Nebulizer and Digital Thermometer
vide notification dated 13th July, 2021.
In addition, Retail prices for 1,640 formulations
have been fixed under DPCO, 2013 till date and in recent years exercising extraordinary
powers under DPCO, 2013 in public interest, NPPA has fixed the prices of following
drugs and medical devices:
(i)
Ceiling price of Stents in February,
2017
(ii)
Ceiling price of Knee Implants
in August, 2017
(iii)
Capped trade margin on selected
42 anti-cancer drugs in February, 2019.
The information was given by the Union Minister
of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Mansukh Mandaviya in a written
reply in the LokSabha on 27 July, 2021.