The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) said the annual change in the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) works out to 10.76 per cent, with around 800 essential drugs like Paracetamol, Azithromycin and Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride likely to see a sharp rise in prices. , “Based on the WPI (Wholesale Price Index) data provided by the Office of the Economic Adviser, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the annual change in WPI during the calendar year 2021 works out to 10.76607 per cent as compared to the same period in 2020″ ” NPPA notice stated.
Following this, the prices of over 800 medicines included in the national list of essential medicines used to treat fever, infections, skin diseases, high blood pressure, anemia and heart diseases are expected to rise by 10.7 per cent from April 1.
“This is brought to the notice of all concerned for further action in accordance with the provisions of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013,” it said. The authority announces changes in WPI as per drugs (price control) every year. Order, 2013, or DPCO, 2013.
The National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), for which the NPPA is empowered to fix the ceiling price, includes common drugs and medical devices such as paracetamol tablets, azithromycin tablets, oral rehydration salts, glucose injections and contraceptives such as copper IUDs and condoms. It also includes insulin injections, vitamin C tablets and multivitamin tablets.
Last year, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority had announced an increase of 0.53 per cent in the Wholesale Price Index as compared to 1.88 per cent in 2020. In 2019 and 2018, it was 4.26 per cent and 3.43 per cent respectively.
In October 2021, the drug price regulator had fixed ceiling prices for 12 anti-diabetic generic drugs, including glimepiride tablets, glucose injections and intermediate acting insulin solution. In a tweet, NPPA had said, “In order to make medical treatment against diseases like diabetes possible for every Indian, NPPA has taken a successful step by fixing ceiling prices of 12 anti-diabetic generic drugs.”
As part of this, the maximum price of metformin immediate-release tablets of 500 mg strength was fixed at Rs 1.51 per tablet, while the 750 mg strength was fixed at Rs 3.05 per tablet and 1,000 mg strength at Rs 3.61 per tablet.
The NPPA said the maximum price of metformin control release tablet 1000 mg was fixed at Rs 3.66 per tablet. It said the cap was fixed at Rs 2.4 per tablet for 750 mg strength and Rs 1.92 per tablet for metformin control release tablet 500 mg strength.
The 1 mg strength glimepiride tablet was priced at Rs 3.6 per tablet, while the 2 mg strength was priced at Rs 5.72 per tablet.
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