NPPA brings down prices of 103 drug formulations
02 Apr 2016
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has fixed ceiling for prices of 103 drug formulations, including those used for treating HIV/AIDS, bacterial infections, tuberculosis, high blood pressure, epilepsy, Hepatitis C and diabetes, thereby making them cheaper for patients.
The revised prices are effective today, NPPA said in a notification on its website
''NPPA has fixed ceiling prices of 103 scheduled formulations on the basis of wholesale price index (WPI) for the preceding calendar year 2015, effective from April, 1 2016,'' the regulator said.
The NPPA move will help bring down the prices of some key drugs such as Tenofovir, Lamivudine, Raltegravir used for treatment of HIV/AIDS and Sofosbuvir, which is used against Hepatitis C.
A tablet of combination drugs Tenofovir 300mg, Lamivudine 300mg and Efavirenz 600mg will now cost Rs91.71 as against Rs94.27 earlier.
Likewise, the ceiling price of a Raltegravir 400 mg is now fixed at Rs139.25 down from Rs143.13 earlier. The price of Hepatitis B drug Sofosbuvir-400mg has been fixed at Rs619.31 down from Rs636.56 previously. Cardiovascular disease drug Atorvastatin-40mg will now be available at Rs17.91 per tablet as against Rs18.41 earlier.
Besides, the NPPA has also fixed the retail price of two formulations – Hyoscine Butylbromide + Paracetamol tablet and Methyldopa tablet, under the Drug (Prices Control) Order (DPCO), 2013.
At present, the government caps prices of essential drugs based on the simple average of all medicines in a particular therapeutic segment with sales of more than one per cent. Besides, the government regulates prices of all other medicines and companies are allowed to hike prices of such drugs by only up to 10 per cent in a year.
The DPCO, 2013 now covers 680 formulations against the 1995 order that regulated prices of 74 bulk drugs. NPPA has been entrusted with the task of fixation/revision of prices of pharma products, enforcement of provisions of the DPCO and monitoring of prices.