The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), as part of refixing the prices of essential medicines in accordance with the new pharmaceutical pricing policy, has revised the prices of 25 more formulation packs and the new prices will come into effect after 45-day window period.

The prices were revised based on the formula notified in the new Drugs Price Control Order (DPCO). The NPPA had already announced new prices for more than 250 formulations already, in many batches during the last two months.

The formulation packs, whose prices were revised, are based on bulk drugs ampicillin, cephalexin, azithromycin, ofloxacin, fluconazole, acyclovir, isosorbide dinitrate, metoprolol, clopidogrel, nifedipine, mannitol, domperidone, dicyclomine hydrochloride, bisacodyl, methyl prednisolon,  ethinylestradiol+levonorgesterol, levothyroxine, and chloramphenicol.

The new prices, announced in the notification dated July 5, will be made into effect after the stipulated window period of 45 days, bringing down the prices of many popular formulations and first generation antibiotics.

This is the fourth lot whose prices were fixed by the NPPA after the new DPCO was notified. Earlier last month, the regulator fixed the prices of 191 formulations which come under the national list of essential medicines. in two batches. Last lot included packs based on drugs like albendazole, amoxicillin, ampicillin, ceftazidine, amikacin, artesunate, amlodipine, and atorvastatin. This was followed by another batch of 51 formulation packs.

According to the new pricing policy, the ceiling of prices  is fixed based on the simple average of the prices of all brands of that drug that have a market share of at least one per cent. The national list of essential medicines lists 348 bulk drugs, which are sold as 650 formulations.

“The manufacturers of above mentioned scheduled formulations having maximum retail price higher than the ceiling price specified shall revise the MRP to an amount not exceeding the ceiling price plus local taxes, wherever applicable in accordance with paragraph 13 (1) and 24 of the DPCO,2013.   The manufacturers may add local taxes only if they have paid actually to the Government on the ceiling price mentioned,” said the notification dated.