Ceiling Prices Of Eight Drugs Used For Asthma, TB, Other Treatments Raised By 50%

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has raised the ceiling prices of eight scheduled drugs by 50%. These drugs are used for treatment of asthma, glaucoma, thalassaemia, tuberculosis, and mental health disorders, among other diseases, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare said on Monday.

"Most of these drugs are low-cost and generally used as first-line treatment crucial to the public health programmes of the country," it said in a release.

The drug formulations for which ceiling prices have been revised include "Benzyl Penicillin 10 lakh IU injection; Atropine injection 06.mg/ml; Streptomycin powder for injection 750 mg and 1000 mg; Salbutamol tablet 2 mg and 4 mg and respirator solution 5 mg/ml; Pilocarpine 2% drops; Cefadroxil tablet 500 mg; Desferrioxamine 500 mg for injection; and Lithium tablets 300 mg," the ministry said.

The NPPA, which took the decision to raise the drug prices, had received an application from pharmaceutical manufacturers for upward revision of prices, citing various reasons like "increased cost of active pharmaceutical ingredients; increase in the cost of production; change in exchange rate.".

The surge in input costs was resulting in unviability in sustainable production and marketing of drugs, as the drugmakers pointed out before the NPPA. Some companies have also applied for discontinuation of some of the formulations on account of their unviability, the release said.

The NPPA has the mandate to check the availability of essential drugs at affordable prices and ensure affordability without jeopardising access to such medicines. The government body has to ensure that essential drugs 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.

Earlier in 2019, the NPPA had raised the ceiling prices of 21 drug formulations by 50%. This was followed by a similar move in 2021, when the ceiling prices of nine formulations were increased by 50%.