Drug Price Transparency: Committee Asks NPPA To Rollout PMRU In Remaining States, UTs

Currently, PMRUs have been set up in 31 States and UTs, with the remaining ones being Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Sikkim, and Manipur. The Committee highlighted that the setting up of PMRUs in these five regions is crucial for extending the benefits of the Price Monitoring and Resource Unit scheme.

In its report on the Demands for Grants of the DoP for the fiscal year 2024-25 submitted in the Lok Sabha recently, the Committee noted that despite efforts from the Department, PMRUs have not yet been established in these regions. "Notably, letters have been issued by the Department to the States/UT Authorities for regular follow-ups, and officers from NPPA have also been deputed to some of the States to expedite the process," the report stated. The Committee strongly recommended that these PMRUs be set up as soon as possible to ensure that the benefits of the scheme reach every part of the country.

The CAPPM (Consumer Awareness, Publicity and Price Monitoring) scheme has two main components: assistance to PMRUs in States and UTs, and advertising and publicity to raise consumer awareness about drug prices. PMRUs function as key partners in price monitoring at the grassroots level, collaborating directly with State Drug Controllers.

According to the DoP, PMRUs have been functioning satisfactorily in the 31 States and UTs where they are currently operational. These units operate as registered societies under the supervision of the respective state drug control administrations. Their key activities include market-based data collection, monitoring of price movements of both scheduled and non-scheduled formulations, collection of test samples of medicines, and conducting training seminars and workshops to create awareness about the prices of medicines.

In the fiscal year 2023-24, PMRUs conducted 320 Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities aimed at increasing consumer awareness. In the current fiscal year, 114 IEC activities have been carried out as of August 2024. These activities are designed to educate the public about various provisions of the Drugs Price Control Order (DPCO), the role of NPPA in price fixation, and the Pharma SahiDaam (PSD) mobile app, which enables users to check drug prices and lodge complaints about pricing and availability issues.

The Department further informed the panel that PMRUs also conduct regular availability surveys to monitor the stock and supply of essential medicines across the country. During the fiscal year 2023-24, PMRUs conducted 1,107 such surveys.

While PMRUs in the majority of states have been effective in achieving their objectives, the Committee expressed concern over the delay in setting up PMRUs in the remaining five states and UTs. It recommended that NPPA take immediate action to establish these units to ensure uniform benefits from the scheme across the nation.

The PMRU setup is being funded by NPPA under the CAPPM scheme, with each State or UT categorized based on its population size. States with larger populations receive a higher allocation for the establishment and operation of PMRUs. As of the end of FY 2023-24, NPPA has revised its budget estimates for 2024-25 to ensure greater funding allocation in line with the growing activities of PMRUs.

The Department has assured the Committee that efforts to establish PMRUs in the remaining states are ongoing. Regular follow-ups, along with the deputation of NPPA officials, have been initiated to facilitate the setting up of these units.

However, the Committee is keen to ensure that every State and UT benefits from the scheme, urging NPPA to expedite the process in the five remaining regions. “The Committee desire that the PMRUs be set up in these five remaining States at the earliest so that the benefits of the Scheme reach these states too,” Panel headed by Lok Sabha member Kirti Azad Jha said.