India Raises Prices of Essential Medicines for Diabetes, Heart Disease, and More

The Indian government has implemented price adjustments for a range of essential drugs, impacting medications used to treat conditions like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, bacterial infections, and allergies. The Department of Pharmaceuticals and the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) announced the new retail prices for 54 drug formulations and eight special feature products in an official order. The decision to revise these prices was made during the authority’s 124th meeting.

In a move that will provide relief to diabetes patients, the prices of several commonly prescribed drugs, including metformin, linagliptin, and sitagliptin, have been set at ₹ 15 to ₹ 20 per tablet. Meanwhile, prices for calcium, vitamins, and drugs targeting bacterial and fungal infections have been reduced. The retail price of ciprofloxacin antibacterial injection has been fixed at ₹ 0.23 per milliliter (ml), while the price of combination tablets containing telmisartan, chlorthalidone, and cilnidipine for hypertension has been set at ₹ 7.14 per tablet.

Combination aspirin and atorvastatin capsules, commonly used to treat high cholesterol, particularly when linked to an increased risk of heart disease, have been priced at ₹ 2.68 per capsule. A 500 ml pack of glucose in ‘euro head plastic bottles’ has been fixed at ₹ 0.24 per ml, while the cost of calcium and vitamin D3 pills has been set at ₹ 7.82 per tablet.

These price adjustments follow the NPPA’s March announcement regarding the increase in prices for drugs listed on the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). The price hike of 0.00551% was attributed to changes in wholesale inflation. In May 2024, the NPPA announced a reduction in ceiling rates for seven scheduled formulations and a corresponding cut in retail prices for 41 essential pharmaceuticals.

The NPPA has also directed all retailers and dealers to prominently display the price list and any supplementary price lists. The order states that manufacturers and marketing companies will be held responsible for depositing overcharged amounts, along with interest, under the provisions of the DPCO, 2013, in conjunction with the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, if they fail to comply with the specified retail prices.

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