Highest Ever: NPPA allows price hike of essential medicines by more than 10 percent

New Delhi: In what can be termed as the highest price hike ever, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), apex price regulatory body has announced a price hike of 10.76607% for scheduled drugs-which are under price control.

Confirmation to this effect was recently given by the NPPA, Department of Pharmaceuticals, in its recently office memorandum.

The move comes the basis of Wholesale Price Index (WPI) data provided by the Office of the Economic Advisor, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry whereby the annual change in the WPI works out as 10.76607% during the calendar year 2021 over the corresponding period in 2020.

The move will spell out costlier essential medicines for the people as majority of the essential drugs have their prices controlled by the government via their inclusion in the National List of Essential Medicines ( NLEM)

NLEM lists drugs used to treat common conditions such as fever, infection, heart disease, hypertension, skin diseases and anaemia, among others.