50% costlier now: NPPA approves price rise for Carbamazepine, Ranitidine, Ibuprofen

The NPPA is mandated to fix and revise the prices of controlled bulk drugs and formulations, and to enforce prices and availability of the medicines in the country. [Representative Image]

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has allowed a price rise of 50 percent for drugs including Carbamazepine, Ranitidine and Ibuprofen, CNBCTV18 reported. It has further allowed an upward revision of the ceiling prices of nine formulations of these three drugs.

The drug price regulation authority said that the "one-time price increase" of 50 percent is an "exceptional measure".

These drugs are low priced drugs and have been under repeated price control, the report added. These three drugs are used as the first line of treatment.

The NPPA is mandated to fix and revise the prices of controlled bulk drugs and formulations, and to enforce prices and availability of the medicines in the country.

It also monitors the prices of de-controlled drugs in order to keep them at reasonable levels.

The NPPA, set up under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, had earlier directed pharmaceutical companies and medical device makers to reduce prices on products on which the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has been lowered in order to pass on the benefit to the consumers.

These included COVID-19 drugs such as remdesivir and tocilizumab as well as on medical oxygen, oxygen concentrators and other COVID-19 essentials. The finance ministry's revenue department on June 14 notified the lower rates for 18 COVID-related supplies, like hand sanitiser, pulse oximeters, BiPAP machine, testing kits, ambulances and temperature check equipment. These concessional rates would be applicable till September 30, 2021.

[Inputs from PTI]