It has been estimated that this year, the prices of essential medicines for illnesses including diabetes and heart-related ailments are to increase more than 10 percent, and this is the highest hike till now. According to the changes in the wholesale price index of 2022, the government is preparing to permit a 12.2 percent hike in the rates of medicines under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has said that as compared to the year 2021, an annual difference of 12.12 percent can be seen in the wholesale price index.
With this, there are chances of the prices of 384 molecules related to 900 formulations for the treatment of 27 ailments increasing by 12 percent. Last year, the NPPA had permitted the pharma industry to hike the prices by around 10 percent. From April 1, painkillers, anti-infectives, anti-biotics, and heart-medicines will be costlier. Drug companies have received the government’s permission to implement the price-hike.
