Extending further its stamp of authority over the controlled market, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has introduced pro-rata pricing for oral liquids. After fixing the pro-rata pricing for strips long back, the NPPA has now fixed the maximum retail price for 16 specific medicines under the liquid segment including multivitamins and antibiotics recently.

Through a notification on January 31, it fixed/revised the prices in respect of 245 formulation packs. Formulation based on bulk drugs included Theophylline with combination liquid, multivitamin liquid, Salbutamol, Multivitamin tonic, multivitamin drop, Theophylline + Alcohol Syrup, and Ciprofloxacin with combination. Almost all domestic companies have one or more product in this category.

NPPA had introduced pro-rata pricing for strips in 1998 and has been trying to extend it to the liquid segment after surveys found large scale manipulation by drug makers to dodge the price control by changing the pack sizes. With liquid also now under pro-rata pricing, about 77 per cent of the scheduled drugs category will be covered. The notification covers all formulations that use the 74 common raw materials (bulk drugs) that come under price control.

A separate notification also fixed prices in respect of 245 formulation packs. The included Multivitamin, Pentoxyphylline, Gentamicin with combination drop, Asprin + Caffeine, Theophylline with combination Liquid, Pseudoephpedrine, Metronidazole, Betamethasone, Ibuprofen and combination, Amoxy with combination, Famotidine, Methyl Prednisolone, Erythromycin, Doxycycline, Furazolidone with combination, Chloroquin, Nalidixic Acid, Lincomycin, Acetyl Salicyclic Acid with combination, Insulin, Depo Medrol, Vitamin C, Levo Salbutamol, Vitamin C with combination, Vitamin E, Multivitamin Liquid, and Gentamycin with combination.