The prices of more than 900 essential medicines, including those used for treating infections, heart diseases, and diabetes, will see an increase of up to 1.74% this April. This adjustment has been announced by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).

Under the Drugs Prices Control Order, 2013 (DPCO, 2013), the ceiling prices of scheduled drugs are revised annually in accordance with the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for all commodities. The Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Anupriya Patel, confirmed in a written statement to the Lok Sabha that for the financial year 2024-25, these ceiling prices were increased by 0.00551% from April 1, 2024, based on the annual change in WPI. Additionally, the NPPA determines the retail prices of new drugs as per the provisions outlined in paragraph 2(1)(u) of the DPCO, 2013.

According to the NPPA, the WPI-based price adjustment for 2024 resulted in a 1.74028% increase compared to the previous year. As a result, manufacturers can raise the maximum retail prices of these medicines without requiring prior government approval.

Impacted Medications and Price Adjustments:

The revised ceiling prices for some commonly used medicines are as follows:

1. Azithromycin (antibiotic):

   • 250 mg tablet: ₹11.87

   • 500 mg tablet: ₹23.98

2. Amoxicillin & Clavulanic Acid (antibacterial dry syrup): ₹2.09 per ml

3. Diclofenac (painkiller): ₹2.09 per tablet

4. Ibuprofen (painkiller):

   • 200 mg tablet: ₹0.72

   • 400 mg tablet: ₹1.22

5. Diabetes Medication (Dapagliflozin + Metformin Hydrochloride + Glimepiride): ₹12.74 per tablet

6. Acyclovir (antiviral):

   • 200 mg tablet: ₹7.74

   • 400 mg tablet: ₹13.90

7. Hydroxychloroquine (antimalarial):

   • 200 mg tablet: ₹6.47

   • 400 mg tablet: ₹14.04

Price Adjustments for Stents:

In addition to medicines, the NPPA has also permitted price increases for coronary stents in line with WPI adjustments. The revised ceiling prices are:

• Bare-metal stents: ₹10,692.69

• Drug-eluting stents, including bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS)/ biodegradable stents: ₹38,933.14

Producers and importers of coronary stents with a price lower than the stated ceiling, along with Goods and Services Tax (GST) as applicable, are allowed to adjust their maximum retail price (MRP) according to the WPI rise for 2024 compared to 2023, according to the DPCO, 2013 rules.

The NPPA, which is under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, controls the prices of critical drugs under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). This includes a wide variety of important medications, ranging from anesthetics to allergic reactions, neurological conditions, cardiovascular diseases, to general over-the-counter medications like paracetamol and azithromycin.

According to regulatory norms, pharmaceutical companies can change their prices without the previous approval of the central government, as long as they follow WPI-based adjustments. The NPPA will issue revised price notifications based on these changes in the near future.

The WPI-induced price hikes this year is significantly greater than the 0.00551% hike observed in the last year.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Sai Sindhuja K/MSM)