- A relief to patients will soon come up as the drug price regulator National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is expected to cap trade margins of 73 medicines for cancer and rare diseases.The trade margin is the difference between the price at which the manufacturers sell to trade and the price that patients pay(maximum retail price).
- NPPA is independent body set up in 1997 under Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.Its mandate is to fix/revise controlled bulk drugs prices and formulations, enforce prices and availability of medicines under Drug(Price Control) order, 2013.
- Functions of NPPA are:(a) To implement and enforce the provisions of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (b) Deal with all legal matters arising out of the decisions of the Authority (C) To monitor the availability of drugs, identify shortages and (d)To collect/ maintain data on production, exports and imports, profitability of companies etc, for bulk drugs and formulation.
