Essential drug price cuts saved patients Rs 3,788 crore a year: Govt

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) under the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) has fixed ceiling prices for 928 scheduled formulations and retail prices for over 3,200 new drugs, according to a government statement.

 

As a result, price reductions under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2022 have averaged 17 per cent, leading to an estimated annual saving of Rs 3,788 crore for patients.

 

Moreover, the Centre ensures affordable medicines through the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), offering quality drugs at 50-80 per cent lower prices via Jan Aushadhi Kendras.

 

Under the AMRIT initiative, medicines for cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and surgical implants are available at up to 50 per cent discounts in selected hospital pharmacies.

 

Notably, to ensure the availability of essential drugs and reduce expenditure for patients visiting public health facilities, the government has rolled out the Free Drugs Service Initiative, under which financial support is provided to state and Union Territory governments for:

 

·         106 drugs at the sub-health centre level

 

·         172 drugs at the primary health centre level

 

·         300 drugs at the community health centre level

 

·         318 drugs at the sub-district health level

 

·         381 drugs at the district hospitals

 

Currently, 2,047 medicines and 300 surgicals, medical consumables, and devices are under the PMBJP scheme product basket, covering all major therapeutic groups.

 

The Department of Pharmaceuticals has set a target to increase the product basket to 2,100 medicines and 310 surgicals, medical consumables, and devices by March 31.

 

The prices of both scheduled and non-scheduled drugs are monitored by NPPA.