NPPA sets up Price Monitoring and Resource Units in 19 States, UTs till October

New Delhi: With an aim to strengthen drug security and affordability at regional levels, the Indian drug price regulator, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), has successfully established 19 Price Monitoring and Resource Units under its Central Scheme, Consumer Awareness, Publicity, and Price Monitoring (CAPPM).

In a tweet, NPPA  stated , "NPPA, under its Central Scheme, named Consumer Awareness, Publicity & Price Monitoring (CAPPM) has successfully set up 19 PMRUs which are expected to strengthen drug security and affordability at regional levels."

The objectives of PMRUs include the following:

• Monitoring the prices of medicines, detection of violation, ensuring availability of medicines.

• Collection and compilation of market based data.

• Collect test samples of medicines.

• Conduct training, seminars, and workshops at the state and district levels for consumers' awareness and publicity on various provisions of DPCOS.

Last year, the Medical Dialogues Team had reported that the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority had established a price monitoring and resource unit in Goa (NPPA).

As previously reported, the national pharma pricing regulator plans to set up PMRUs in all 36 states and UTs in the country. The expenses of PMRUs, both recurring and non-recurring, are borne by the NPPA under the scheme, as per the NPPA statement.

Furthermore, the PMRUs are projected to improve regional drug security and affordability. Their main task is to assist the NPPA in monitoring drug costs, assuring medicine supply, and increasing consumer knowledge.