PRICE CONTROL OF MEDICINES

Feb. 28, 2019

The Government of India has brought 42 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs under price control, capping trade margin at 30 %, which would reduce their retail prices by up to 85 %.

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This was done by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) invoking extraordinary powers in public interest, under Para 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 to bring 42 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs under price control through trade margin rationalisation.
The NPPA currently fixes prices of drugs placed in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) under Schedule-I of the DPCO.
So far, around 1000 drugs have been brought under price control under the initiative. Non-scheduled drugs are allowed an increase of up to 10 per cent in prices every year, which is monitored by the NPPA.
Currently, 57 anti-cancer drugs are under price control as scheduled formulations. Now 42 non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines have been selected for price regulation by restricting trade margin on the selling price (MRP) up to 30 %. These would cover 72 formulations and 355 brands as per data available with NPPA.

Source : Indian Express