The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has succeeded in bringing down the prices of 25 non-scheduled formulation packs through negotiations with the manufacturers. The companies voluntarily agreed to bring about a price reduction ranging between 2.14% to 34.62% after they were called for personal hearing by NPPA to explain the reasons for steep price increase in these products. The products belong to 16 companies.

The NPPA had recently stepped up the monitoring of non-scheduled formulations. The effort is to be more fruitful with the introduction of the proposed computerisation of its day-to-day work. The NPPA would also seek more data from ORG-IMS to intensify monitoring of drug prices. This routine supply of drug price data sourced from the retail markets is meant to help them in controlling the prices more effectively. The current price monitoring mechanism of NPPA is heavily dependent on the price list supplied by the companies. It also acts upon the information provided by the state drug authorities and the complaints received form the public, NGOs etc. The tie-up with ORG-IMS would mark a major change from this system as NPPA would have direct access to the actual retail price. ORG-IMS would constantly oversee the prices and supply the data to NPPA.

The list of drugs whose prices were voluntarily reduced by manufacturers are Trofodermin (Pharmacia Upjohn), Nimfast (Zydus Cadilla), Rubraplex (Sarabhai Piramal), Globiron (Aglowmed), New B-N-C (Aglowmed), Nimodip (USV), D.B.I-TD (USV), Nise C Kid (Dr Reddys), Celcox (Lupin), Nuril (USV), PAN (Alkem), Esgipyrin (Sarabhai Piramal), Grilinctus-BM (Wardex Pharmaceutical),  Vermisol (Khandelwal Labs), Serlift (Ranbaxy), Maxepa (Merck), Campose (Ranbaxy), B.Long (Elder Pharma), Livogen Film C Cap Tab (Merck), Silveren Crm (Ranbaxy), Metopar Tab (CFL), Flunarin Tab (FDC Ltd) and Ocuflur Eye Drop (FDC Ltd).