Continuing its exercise of revising the prices of essential drugs as per the new Drugs Price Control Order (DPCO) 2013, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has fixed the price of 40 more formulations.

The pricing authority fixed the prices of formulations based on bulk drugs like albendazole, amoxicillin, ampicillin, ceftazidine, amikacin, artesunate, ondansetron, bromocriptine mesylate, albumin, amlodipine, atenolol, atorvastatin, acyclovir, ispaghula, metformin, levothyroxine, acetazolamide, alprazolam, glucose, cefixime, primaquine, fluconazole, imatinib, omeprazole, atropine sulphate and diazepam, through an order dated June 24.

Seeking to effect the new prices, the NPPA had last week announced the prices of  151 formulations that come under the essential drugs. Some of the drugs whose prices were fixed in the first batch were insulin, ibuprofen, metronidazole combinations, dexamethazone combinations, rifampicin combinations, carbamazepine, etc.

According to the new pricing policy, the ceiling of prices will be done 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 new order is set to regulate the prices of 348 essential drugs listed in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). Earlier, Drug Prices Control Order (DPCO) 1995 regulated prices of only 74 bulk drugs.

“The manufacturers of above mentioned scheduled formulations having maximum retail price (MRP) 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.

“Any manufacturer intending to discontinue above said scheduled formulation shall furnish information to the NPPA, in respect of discontinuation of the production and/or import of schedules formulation in Form-IV of scheduled-II of the DPCO, 2013 at least six months prior to the indented date of discontinuation.  The manufacturer not complying with the ceiling price and notes specified herein above in this notification, shall be liable to deposit overcharged amount along with the interest thereon under the provisions of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 read with the Essential Commodities Act, 1955,” it said.

“Consequent to the issue of ceiling price of the scheduled formulation as specified in column (2) of the above table in this notification, the price order(s) if any, issued prior to the above said date of notification, stand withdrawn,” the notification said.