Drug pricing regulator NPPA revises ceiling prices of 128 medicines

Drug pricing regulator National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has revised prices of 128 drugs, including antibiotics and antiviral medications.

The formulations for which the ceiling price has been fixed include antibiotic injections of Amoxicillin and Clavulanic acid; Vancomycin, asthma medication Salbutamol, cancer drug Trastuzumab, brain tumour treatment drug Temozolomide, painkiller Ibuprofen and paracetamol which is used to treat pain and fever.

As per the notification, the ceiling price of one Amoxicillin capsule has been fixed at Rs 2.18; one tablet of Cetirizine at Rs 1.68; Amoxicillin and Clavulanic acid injection at Rs 90.38; Ibuprofen 400 mg tablet at Rs 1.07.

"All manufacturers of scheduled formulation, selling the branded or generic or both the versions of scheduled formulations at a price higher than the ceiling price (plus Goods and Services Tax as applicable) so fixed and notified by the government, shall revise the prices of all such formulations downward not exceeding the ceiling price," the notification said.

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has also fixed the retail price of 12 scheduled formulations under Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 (NLEM 2022). The retail price of one tablet of anti-diabetes combination drug Glimepiride, Voglibose & Metformin (extended release) has been fixed at Rs 13.83.

Similarly, retail price of one tablet of Paracetamol, Phenylephrine Hydrochloride, Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride and Caffeine has been fixed at Rs 2.76.

Set up in 1997, NPPA has been entrusted with the task of fixation/revision of prices of pharma products, enforcement of provisions of DPCO and monitoring of prices of controlled and decontrolled drugs.