People told to log the below link to check govt fixed price of essential medicines
https://nppaipdms.gov.in/NPPA/PharmaSahiDaam/searchMedicine
Public may report any complaints regarding overpricing through the Drugs Control Administration, Telangana Toll-Free Number 1800-599-6969 on all working hours
HYDERABAD, FEBRUARY 28, 2024: In a bid to tackle overpricing of medicines by various pharmaceutical companies and cheating of the gullible people, the Telangana Drugs Control Administration has issued an advisory to the people of the state to log in ‘pharmasahidaam’ which provides the ceiling price fixed by the government for essential medicines.
The Government of India fixes ceiling prices for essential medicines i.e., medicines listed in the ‘National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) – NLEM-2022’. The Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of such products shall not exceed the Ceiling Prices plus GST (12%).
‘Pharma Sahi Daam’ website provides the Ceiling Prices fixed by the Government for Essential Medicines.
https://nppaipdms.gov.in/NPPA/PharmaSahiDaam/searchMedicine
In a statement here on Wednesday, DCA Director-General VB Kamalasan Reddy said that ‘Essential medicines’ are those that fulfill the priority healthcare needs of the majority of the population. The compilation of “essential medicines” lists is specific to each country and takes into account factors such as the disease burden of the nation, the commonly used medicines at primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare levels, and the cost-effectiveness of medicines etc. in the country.
In India, “Essential medicines” are listed under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) published periodically by the Government of India. The most recent National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) was published in 2022. The essential medicines listed under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) are subject to price control as per the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 and the prices of ‘Essential Medicines’ shall be in accordance with the ‘Ceiling Price’ fixed by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Government of India.
The Maximum Retail Price (MRP) is calculated by adding the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which is 12% for the majority of medicines, to the Ceiling Price fixed by the Central Government. Therefore, MRP equals Ceiling Price plus GST.
The public can refer to the ‘Pharma Sahi Daam’ website, which provides information on the Ceiling Prices fixed by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Government of India. The link to the ‘Pharma Sahi Daam’ website is as follows: https://nppaipdms.gov.in/NPPA/PharmaSahiDaam/searchMedicine
The public can verify overpricing of the medicine by following these steps:
Firstly, the medicine should be an ‘Essential Medicine’. Please note that the Government of India fixes ‘Ceiling Prices’ only for Essential Medicines.
For example:
Itraconazole Capsules 200 mg is an essential medicine as per the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM)-2022. Itraconazole Capsules 200 mg are manufactured by various companies under several brand names, such as Canditral 200, Zole-IT 200, etc.
To search for the Ceiling Price fixed for Itraconazole Capsules 200 mg, the public may visit the ‘Pharma Sahi Daam’ website.
https://nppaipdms.gov.in/NPPA/PharmaSahiDaam/searchMedicine
Select the option ‘Ceiling Prices of Essential Medicines’
- Then enter the medicine name ‘Itraconazole’ and strength ‘200 mg’ in the search boxes available on the page.
- The Ceiling Price fixed for the product appears on the page.
- The Ceiling price fixed by the Central Government for the product “Itraconazole Capsules 200 mg” is 19.73 for one capsule as per Pharma Sahi Daam website.
- Ceiling Price increased by Whole sale Price Index (WPI) of 12.1218% with effect from 01-04-2023 is 22.12 for one capsule (Ceiling Price+WPI).
- Hence, the Maximum Retail Price (MRP), including GST at 12%, should not be more than 24.77 for one capsule (MRP = Ceiling Price + GST).
Public shall insist on a bill for the medicines purchased from a medical shop. Remember, No Bill, No Pill.
Overpricing of essential medicines is a violation under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, and stringent action shall be taken as per the law against violators. The public may report any complaints regarding overpricing through the Drugs Control Administration, Telangana Toll-Free Number 1800-599-6969, which is operational from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm on all working days.
About the Author
