The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) has agreed in-principle to All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD)'s demand for allowing sale of medicines, whose ceiling prices have been revised by NPPA, at their pre-revised prices until their batch number expires.

At present, the chemists who are found selling drugs at pre-revised prices are liable for prosecution by state drug regulators, said AIOCD general secretary Suresh Gupta.

On the other hand, manufacturers are often reluctant to provide wholesalers/retailers list of revised prices of the drugs, the prices of which have been revised by the NPPA, he rued.

In a bid to protect retailers against harassment by the state drug regulators, AIOCD had urged the DoP to allow chemists to sell drugs at pre-revised prices until their batch number expires.

DoP secretary in a meeting with AIOCD general secretary on July 8, 2016 had agreed in-principle to the drug trade body's demand and informed the trade body that he would forward their request to Union minister of chemicals and fertilisers, Ananth Kumar for final approval.

As per DPCO order, for stock manufactured or available in the market prior to publication of the ceiling price, a grace period of 45 days is available to facilitate recall and/or reprinting of the revised MRP on the label of the medicine in accordance with the notified ceiling price.

But under no circumstances does it allow sale of a medicine at the pre-revised price even during the 45-day grace period, as the same stock keeping unit (SKU) of a particular medicine should not be offered to the consumer at a price exceeding the price specified in the current price list or the price indicated on the label of the medicine pack, whichever is less. All batches manufactured after the price notification must necessarily conform to the notified ceiling price.