Up to 40% reduction in the prices of 509 drugs, prices fixed

Were you worried about the hospitalisation costs going up due to budget cuts of the healthcare sector? You can now be a little relieved as your medicine costs are not likely to burn a hole in your pocket. The parliament on Tuesday was informed by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), that the ceiling price of 509 essential medicines prices have been fixed which has led to the reduction in rates by above 40 per cent in case of 127 drugs. (Read: Free drugs for all?)

Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Hansraj Gangaram Ahir informed in the Lok Sabha that NPPA had already fixed the ceiling price in respect of 509 essential medicines out of 680 medicines (628 net medicines) contained in the Schedule-1 of DPCO 2013. (Read: Nadda for innovation of new low cost drugs)

Out of the total 509 drugs, 127 essential medicines will now cost 40% less whereas the cost of 34 drugs has been reduced by 30-35 % ,other 57 drugs will cost around 25-30% less, 65 drugs to cost 20-25 % less. Ahir further said that the price of 44 drugs has gone down by 15-20 per cent, 10-15 per cent in case of 55 drugs, between 5-10 per cent for 46 drugs and up to 5 per cent in case of 51 medicines.

Image source: Getty Images

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