Essential Medicines To Cost More Starting April

Prices of over 800 medicines under the National List of Essential Medicines (NELM) are expected to increase by over 10% in April 2022. The list includes medicines such as antiallergics, antidotes, anticonvulsants, anti-ineffective, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, vitamins, and minerals among others.

The drugs included in the NELM list are used to treat fever, infections, anemia, and hypertension and include commonly used medicines like paracetamol.

The price rise is in line with the increase in the Wholesale Price Index, said the NPPA. "Based on the WPI data provided by the office of the Economic Advisor, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the annual change in WPI works out as 10.76607% during the calendar year 2021 over the corresponding period in 2020," according to the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) notice dated Mar. 25, 2022.

As per Drugs Price Control Order 2013, NPPA is allowed to revise the ceiling price of scheduled formulations as per the annual WPI for the preceding calendar year on or before Apr. 1 of every year and notify the same on the first day of April every year.