DCA Advises Public To Check Essential Prices Medicines on GoI Website

Hyderabad: The Drug Control Administration (DCA) on Wednesday, through an advisory, warned the public to check the price of essential medicines as per government standards and ensure that they do not pay over the maximum retail price (MRP).

DCA director V.B. Kamalasan Reddy said: “The MRP of such products shall not exceed the ceiling prices plus GST (12%). The Government of India fixes ceiling prices for essential medicines for the medicines listed in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2022 (the most recent year the list was published).”

He said that the ‘Pharma Sahi Daam’ website — https://nppaipdms.gov.in/NPPA/PharmaSahiDaam/searchMedicine — provides the ceiling prices fixed by the government for essential medicines.

“Essential medicines are fulfil 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 in the country,” Kamalasan said.

He said that people must ensure that the product for which they want to check the ceiling price is an essential medicine.

Citing an example, he said ‘Itraconazole Capsules 200 mg’ is an essential medicine as per NLEM-2022, for which the government has fixed a ceiling price of Rs 22.12 for one capsule. Accounting for 12 per cent GST, the MRP of the capsule, manufactured under any name by any brand, should not exceed Rs 24.77.

“Public shall insist on a bill for the medicines purchased from a medical shop,” a press release issued by the DCA stated.