NPPA asks hospitals to display revised price list of stents

Regulator NPPA today asked hospitals to prominently display revised price list of stents while ordering manufacturers and importers to report to it in case of withdrawal or non-availability of products.
"All hospitals which are billing to the patients must display the revised price list of the cardiac stents on a conspicuous past of the premises of the hospitals in such a manner so as to be easily accessible to public...," NPPA said in a notification.
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) further said that state drug controllers have also been sensitised on this issue and would be inspecting more hospitals in the coming days to check the compliance with its price cap order issued last week.

The authority said one hospital in the Capital had not put up the revised price list citing non-receipt of the latest prices from companies.
Warning stent manufacturers and importers against shortage, the NPPA said the companies were under "legal obligation to maintain smooth production and supply of coronary stents of all brands which were available in the country before price cap".
"Companies have already informed the government that they are continuing with the same level of supplies. If there is any non-availability or withdrawal of stents it should inform NPPA immediately," the notification added.
Stating that it has received complaints about few hospitals refusing to make 'best stents' available on the grounds that companies told them to hold these stents, NPPA said it was a clear violation of DPCO 2013.