The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has decided to increase the maximum price of 8 schedule medicines. These medicines are used to cure asthma, TB, glaucoma along with many other diseases.
The Health and Family Affairs Ministry said that NPPA has approved increasing the maximum prices of eleven scheduled formulations of eight medicines by 50% from their existing maximum prices.
Earlier, NPPA had decided to increase the prices of 21 and 9 formulation drugs by 50% in 2019 and 2020.
The government has revised the prices of these medicines and formulations…
- Atropine injection (0.6 mg/ml), used to treat slow heart rates.
- Streptomycin (750mg and 1000mg formulations) injection powder used for the treatment of TB
- Asthma medicine Salbutamol 2mg and 4mg tablets and 5mg/ml respirator.
- Pilocarpine 2% drops, used in the treatment of glaucoma
- Cefadroxil Tablet 500mg, used to treat urinary tract infections (UTI)
- Deferoxamine 500mg Injection and Lithium Tablets 300mg for the treatment of Thalassemia.
Government bid- decision on the application of drug manufacturers
On increasing the maximum price of these medicines, the government said that the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) was continuously receiving applications from manufacturers for increasing the prices of these medicines.
The increase in the prices of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) was cited by pharmaceutical companies as the reason for the increase in the cost of medicines and changes in exchange rates.
The ministry said that companies have also applied to discontinue some medicines due to non-availability of them. Most of these drugs are inexpensive and are used as first-line treatment in the country's public health programs.
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