Price of Essential Medicines to Increase by 10.7% from April

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) of India announced a 10.7 percent change in the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for the calendar year 2021 over the corresponding period in 2020.

With the change in the WPI, the prices of nearly 800 scheduled medicines on the national list of essential medicines which are used to treat the major ailments will rise by 10.7 percent from April 1.

The NPPA in a notice said, "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.”

Now the prices of medicines used to treat fever, infections, heart diseases, high blood pressure, skin diseases and anaemia will increase. This includes drugs like Paracetamol, Phenobarbitone, Phenytoin Sodium, Azithromycin, Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride and Metronidazole.

“This is brought to the notice of all concerned for further action as per the provisions of Drugs (Price Control) Order, 2013,” it added.

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