The Union government has set a price cap for 37 different prescription formulations, including antibiotics and painkillers, as well as four emergency-use medications. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) set the pricing, and the medications cover everything from diabetes and vitamin deficiencies to infections, heart conditions, and inflammation. The NPPA stated that manufacturers who offer branded, generic, or both types of medications at a price higher than the ceiling price (plus GST) must lower their pricing without going above the ceiling price. The NPPA further stated that manufacturers with an MRP below the ceiling price must keep their current MRP.
Ipratropium is one of the emergency-use medications; it helps patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease avoid wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, and chest tightness. The maximum price per milliliter was set at Rs 2.96. Priced at Rs 26.72 per capsule, Diltiazem is used to treat chest pain and high blood pressure; Povidone Iodine disinfects skin before and after surgery and treats minor wounds; and Sodium Nitroprusside, an injectable used to rapidly lower blood pressure in hypertensive emergencies, during surgery to prevent bleeding, and in cases of acute heart failure, costs Rs 28.99 per milliliter.
