India's drug pricing regulator has capped trade margins on 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer formulations at 30 per cent.
The move, effective November 9, is expected to slash retail prices of these critical life-saving medicines by up to 70 per cent depending on their current price structures, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers statement said on Saturday (17).
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority's (NPPA) intervention stems from recommendations by an expert committee constituted under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), comprising leading oncologists, medical specialists, hospital experts from across the country, and government officials.
Drugmakers are mandated to publish revised price lists on their official websites and disseminate widely among retailers and hospitals.
Furthermore, retailers and hospitals must charge reduced rates from November 9 and display the revised prices in their pharmacies.
Hospitals, which directly procure a substantial share of oncology medicines, are also required to prominently exhibit the new rates on their websites and will bear direct responsibility for ensuring the revised prices are implemented on the ground, it said.
Consumers can verify and check the updated drug rates through the NPPA website and its mobile app.
Pharmaceutical companies have been directed to maintain their current production and supply levels for the notified formulations to guarantee uninterrupted and timely access to vital medicines for patients across the country.
