NPPA rapped for drug prices hike

THE STANDING COMMITTEE on chemicals and fertilizers has lashed out at the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) for permitting price hikes for 11 drug formulations by a steep 50% last year.

- MANU KAUSHIK

The panel expressed serious concerns that just when the rising drugs prices were affecting the whole country, the NPPA, which has the ambit of monitoring and enforcement of pricing of medicine, allowed such hefty price hikes.

In October 2024, NPPA allowed a one-time increase in the ceiling prices of 11 formulations, including medicines used to treat bacterial infections, asthma, and bipolar disorder, to ensure their continued availability in the market. As per NPPA, these drugs were low-cost and generally used as the first line of treatment.