Prices of 98 drugs not fixed due to lack of information

The government has not fixed the ceiling price of 98 drugs used for treating various diseases such as tuberculosis, cardiac conditions and infections due to non-availability of information.
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has asked various stakeholders to provide related data in 30 days.
The authority has fixed the ceiling price of 530 formulations from the list of essential medicines included in Schedule-1 of DPCO, 2013.
"However, NPPA has not fixed the ceiling prices of balance 98 formulations due to non availability of data/information in the retail channel," the authority said in a public notice.
NPPA has sought data/information about these 98 formulations from all state governments and UTs, Drug Controller General of India, Drug controllers of states and UTs , IMS health, Pharma Trac and apex pharma organisations such as OPPI, IDMA, IPA among others and trade associations.

"Information indicating the details of retail sale of these 98 formulations may be informed to NPPA within 30 days of issue of this public notice," NPPA said.
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 1 per cent.
In the case of non-scheduled drugs, companies are allowed to hike prices by only up to 10 per cent in a year.