Increase in prices of 5 key drugs approved to ensure availability: Government tells Lok Sabha | India News

NEW DELHI: The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) approved an increase in the price of 11 formulations of eight drugs to ensure their continued availability, the minister of state in the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers, Anupriya Patel, told Lok Sabha on Friday.
In a written reply to a question raised by TMC MP Deepak Dev Adhikari, Patel said the NPPA received applications in respect of 77 formulations from various pharmaceutical manufacturing/marketing companies and industry associations requesting for upward revision of price for their formulation(s).
“This request was made on the grounds that ensuring continued availability of these drugs at existing rates was not viable due to reasons like increase in cost of production, increase in cost of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), changes in exchange rate, request for discontinuation of some of the formulations etc. After detailed scrutiny, NPPA approved an increase in the price of 11 formulations of 8 drugs to ensure their continued availability so that the public is not forced to switch to expensive alternatives due to non-availability of these drugs in the market, the minister of state said.
TOI had reported in October about the increase in prices of eight drugs used for treatment of conditions such as asthma, Glaucoma, Thalassemia, Tuberculosis, mental health disorders, etc.
This included 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.
Most of these drugs are low-cost and generally used as first line treatment crucial to the public health programmes of the country. “The price revision is unlikely to impact patients significantly as most of these drugs are available for free to them at govt hospitals and through public health initiatives meant to provide free treatment,” said a senior official.
Before this, the NPPA used its powers in 2019 and in 2021 whereby price of 21 and 9 formulations respectively were increased by 50% to ensure continued availability of essential drugs for the public, government sources said.