NPPA raises ceiling prices of 8 scheduled drugs for asthma, TB, glaucoma

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday announced that the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has revised the ceiling prices of eight scheduled drugs that are used as first-line treatment for asthma, tuberculosis (TB), and glaucoma, among others.

The NPPA approved an increase in the ceiling prices of eleven scheduled formulations of eight drugs by 50 per cent of their current ceiling prices, in a meeting held on October 8.

These include Atropine injection 0.6 mg/ml, used to treat slow heart rates, and Streptomycin powder for injection, used to treat TB, in 750 mg and 1000 mg formulations.

Ceiling prices were also revised for the asthma drug Salbutamol in tablets of 2 mg and 4 mg formulations and respirator solution of 5 mg/ml formulation.

Other formulations include Pilocarpine 2 per cent drops used to treat glaucoma, Cefadroxil tablet 500 mg for urinary tract infection (UTI), Deferoxamine 500 mg for injection for thalassemia treatment, and Lithium tablets in 300 mg formulation.

Commenting on the reasons, the ministry stated in an official communication that the NPPA had been receiving applications from manufacturers for upward revision of prices, citing reasons such as an increase in the cost of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and production, along with changes in exchange rates, resulting in unviability in sustainable production and marketing of drugs.

“Companies have also applied for discontinuation of some of the formulations on account of their unviability,” the ministry added.

Most of these drugs are low-cost and generally used as first-line treatments crucial to the public health programmes of the country.

“The essential drugs must remain available to address the public health needs of the country, and their price regulation should not lead to a situation where these drugs become unavailable in the market,” the ministry stated.

Such powers have only been invoked by the NPPA in 2019 and 2021, through which ceiling prices of 21 and 9 formulations respectively were increased by 50 per cent, to ensure the continued availability of essential drugs for the public.