Prices of 91% brands of 5 medical devices reports price reductions

According to the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers, 91 percent of brands of five medical devices reported price reductions after the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) capped pricing.

Pulse oximeters, digital thermometers, nebulisers, blood pressure monitors, and glucometers have all had their costs capped by the government regulatory agency.

In larger public interest, Government caps Trade Margin for 5 Medical Devices, effective from July 20;

-Pulse Oximeter
-Blood Pressure Monitoring Machine
-Nebulizer
-Digital Thermometer
-Glucometer

It will hugely reduce prices of Medical devices.https://t.co/4YA2zay5yl

— Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) July 24, 2021

The maximum downward revision has been reported by an imported brand of pulse oximeter, showing reduction of Rs 2,95,375 per unit, it added.

The downward revision of MRP has been reported by imported and domestic brands across all the categories, the ministry stated.

The highest reduction in prices by importers has been on pulse oximeters, blood pressure monitoring machines and nebulisers, it noted.

The revised MRP effective from July 20, 2021 on all the brands and specifications has been shared with the state drug controllers for strict monitoring and enforcement, the ministry said.

“In larger public interest, Government caps Trade Margin for 5 Medical Devices, effective from July 20..It will hugely reduce prices of Medical devices,” Chemicals and Fertilizers minister Mansukh L Mandaviya tweeted.

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With the purpose of making the medical devices affordable during the evolving situation of covid pandemic, it is felt necessary to regulate the trade margin on these medical devices, NPPA had said in its order.

It had said that the data collected from the manufacturers /marketers/importers pointed out that existing trade margins on the five medical devices ranged up to 709% from price to distributor to MRP level.

Paragraph 19 of DPCO, 2013, authorises the NPPA to control drug prices that are not under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) under extraordinary circumstances in public interest. In June, the government capped the trade margin on oxygen concentrators at 70% by invoking extraordinary powers under Para 19 of the DPCO, 2013.

This move has received support from Industry Associations like FICCI, AdvaMed, and AMCHAM.

For more information click the link

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1738484

( With inputs from ANI )