The national drug price regulator National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has unearthed a total of 613 cases of non-compliance of its notified ceiling prices of various medicines by pharma companies, several of them prominent ones like Sun Pharmaceuticals, Ranbaxy Laboratories, Lupin Ltd, Zydus Cadila, Wockhardt, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi India, etc. The NPPA has issued 'preliminary notices' to these companies for overcharging the patients.

Abbott Healthcare, Adonis Laboratories, Adroit Healthcare, Agio Pharmaceuticals, Ajanta Pharma, Akesiss Pharma, Akumentis Healthcare, Albert David, Alembic, Alcon Laboratories, Alkem Laboratories, Allergan India, Anhox Healthcare, Anthus Pharmaceuticals, Apex Laboratories, Astrazeneca Pharma India, Bal Pharma, Bharat Biotech International, Bharat Serums & Vaccines, Biocon, Biological E, Centaur Pharmaceuticals, Cipla, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Emcure Pharmaceuticals, FDC, Fresenius Kabi India, Glaxosmithkline Pharmaceuticals, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Hetero Healthcare, Indi Pharma, Indoco Remedies, Indswift Laboratories, Intas Pharmaceuticals, IPCA Laboratories, Mankind Pharmaceuticals, Merck Consumer Healthcare, Micro Labs, Natco Pharma, Novartis India, Panacea Biotec, Pfizer, RPG Life Sciences, and Serum Institute of India are some of the companies against whom the NPPA has issues preliminary notices.

The National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) has been incorporated as Schedule-I of Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. NPPA is the nodal authority for notifying the ceiling prices of these scheduled formulations. NPPA has notified the ceiling prices of 680 medicines listed under revised Schedule-I of DPCO, 2013 (NLEM-15).

The market data of prices of pharmaceutical products of January, 2017 was analyzed by NPPA. A list of cases of suspected non-compliance of notified ceiling prices of various medicines by pharma companies is attached. Since, the number of cases every month is high, NPPA is not in a position to issue individual 'Preliminary Notice' in all cases. The list accordingly be treated as preliminary Notice as per NPPA's guidelines, NPPA in a public notice said.  

The companies which find that Pharmatrac data is not correct may submit necessary documents in support of compliance enabling for dropping their names from the list. NPPA will upload monthly separate list of all such cases where names have been deleted after verification and delete their names from the main list, it said.