Giving shot in the arm for healthcare industry, the government has allowed pharmaceutical companies for hiking prices of 509 essential medicines used for treating various diseases like diabetes, hepatitis and cancer by 3.84% with effect from April 1. The 509 medicines, which have become costlier, include Alpha Interferon injection (used to treat hepatitis B and C as well as certain types of cancer), carboplatin injection (used for cancer treatment), fluconazole capsules (indicated for fungal infections), among others. Basically, antibiotics which have Amoxicillin capsules have also become costlier with effect from April 1.
Further towards this development, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has issued a notification for price hike of drugs in line with the wholesale price index of 2014 under Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) 2013. The annual increase in the wholesale price index (WPI) works out at 3.84% during calendar year 2014 over the corresponding period in 2013. The government had notified Drug Price Control Order, 2013, which covers 680 formulations, with effect from May 15, 2014, replacing the 1995 order that regulated prices of only 74 bulk drugs.
At present, the government caps prices of a total of 348 essential medicines based on the simple average of all medicines in a particular therapeutic segment with sales of more than 1%. Besides, the government regulates prices of all other medicines and companies are allowed to hike prices of such drugs by only up to 10% in a year.
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