About National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority:
- It is an independent regulator for pricing of drugs and to ensure availability and accessibility of medicines at affordable prices.
- It was constituted in 1997 under the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers.
- Functions:
- To implement and enforce the provisions of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order in accordance with the powers delegated to it.
- To monitor the availability of drugs, identify shortages, if any, and to take remedial steps.
- To collect/ maintain data on production, exports and imports, market share of individual companies, profitability of companies etc, for bulk drugs and formulations.
- To recruit/ appoint the officers and other staff members of the Authority, as per rules and procedures laid down by the Government.
- To render advice to the Central Government on changes/ revisions in the drug policy.
- To render assistance to the Central Government in the parliamentary matters relating to drug pricing
- To fix and revising drug prices as per the provisions of the Drugs Prices Control Order (DPCO),
- NPPA provides ceiling price to all drugs notified under Schedule-I of DPCO and so far.
