Ceiling prices have also been revised for asthma drug Salbutamol in 2 mg and 4 mg tablets and 5 mg/ml respirator solution.

Other formulations include pilocarpine 2 percent drops used to treat glaucoma, cefadroxil 500 mg tablet for urinary tract infections (UTI), deferoxamine 500 mg for injection for the treatment of thalassemia and lithium tablets in a 300 mg formulation.

Commenting on the reasons, the ministry said in an official statement that the NPPA had received requests from manufacturers for upward revision of prices, citing reasons such as increasing cost of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and production, as well as changes in exchange rates, making sustainable production and marketing of medicines unviable.

“Companies have also requested the discontinuation of certain formulations due to their unviability,” the ministry added.

Most of these drugs are inexpensive and are generally used as first-line treatments, essential to the country’s public health programs.

“Essential medicines must remain available to meet the public health needs of the country, and their price regulation must not lead to a situation where these medicines become unavailable in the market,” the ministry said.

Such powers were invoked by the NPPA only in 2019 and 2021, through which the price ceilings of 21 and 9 formulations respectively were increased by 50 percent, to ensure continued availability of essential medicines to the public.

First publication: October 14, 2024 | 8:22 p.m. STI