NPPA hikes ceiling prices of 8 essential drugs by 50%

National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has approved a 50 per cent increase in the ceiling prices of 11 scheduled formulations of eight drugs that are used for the treatment of Asthma, Glaucoma, Thalassemia, Tuberculosis, mental health disorders, etc.

NPPA said the price revision comes in the wake of increases in the cost of active ingredients used the production of these drug formulations and representations from drug manufacturers.

NPPA attributed the rise in prices of active ingredients to increase on production cost as well as depreciation of the Indian currency that resulted in high import costs.

These are essential drugs that must remain available considering public health needs and any reduction in their prices would lead to shortage of these drug formulation, NPPA pointed out.

Also, according to NPPA, most of these drugs are low-cost and generally used as first line treatment in public health programmes and hence will not have any impact on the general public.

An upward revision in prices have been necessitated to make production of these drug sustainable NPPA said, adding that some pharmaceutical companies have also sought to discontinue production of some of the formulations on account of their unviability.

Formulations whose ceiling prices have been increased include Benzyl Penicillin (10 lakh IU) injection, Atropine (06.mg/ml) injection, Streptomycin powder (750 mg and 1,000 mg) for injection, 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).

NPPA had similarly raised prices of essential drugs in 2019 and in 2021 whereby prices of 21 and 9 formulations, respectively, were increased by 50 per cent.