Lok Sabha Question No. 1014 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-25
Subject: Prices of Life Saving Drugs
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Shri Murasoli S

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACEUTICALS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1014 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 th  JULY, 2025

## Prices of Life Saving Drugs

## 1014. Shri Murasoli S:

Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  considered  reducing  the  prices  of  life-saving  drugs  in  the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the list of the medicines under consideration and the steps being taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS

(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

(a)  to  (c):  There  is  no  categorisation  of  drugs  as  life-saving  drugs.  However,  the  Standing National Committee on Medicines, consisting of all stakeholders and experts, carefully evaluates the relative safety, efficacy, availability  and affordability  of medicines from each therapeutic class, consults all stakeholders and considers WHO's Essential Medicines List, drugs used in national  health  programmes,  Indian  Pharmacopoeia, National  Formulary, etc., to  recommend drugs  for  inclusion  in  the  National  List  of  Essential  Medicines  (NLEM).  Based  on  the  said recommendations, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare publishes NLEM, which is notified as Schedule-I to the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 ('DPCO, 2013').

Currently,  ceiling  prices  stand  fixed  for  930  scheduled  formulations  by  the  National Pharmaceutical  Pricing  Authority  (NPPA).  All  manufacturers,  importers  and  marketers  of scheduled medicines are required to sell their products within the ceiling price (plus applicable local taxes). The average price reduction due to fixation or refixation of prices under NLEM, 2022 was about 17%, resulting in estimated annual savings of approximately ₹3,788 crore to patients. Earlier, in February 2017, ceiling prices of coronary stents were also fixed, resulting in estimated annual savings of about ₹11,600 crore to patients.

In  addition,  retail  prices  of  'new  drugs', i.e., formulations  launched  by  existing manufacturers of a medicine listed in NLEM by combining it with another drug, or by changing the strength or dosage or both of such medicine, are also fixed by NPPA under DPCO, 2013. Retail  prices  of  3,482  such  new  drugs  also  stand  fixed,  and  applicant  manufacturers  and marketing companies are required to sell these drugs within the said price.

Apart from the above, in respect of non-scheduled medicines, the following measures are in place under DPCO, 2013 to reduce prices:

- (i) Manufacturers are required to not increase the maximum retail price (MRP) of drugs launched by them by more than 10% during the preceding 12 months.
- (ii) In addition, NPPA has fixed the prices of a number of non-scheduled medicines, in public interest, as follows:
- (I) MRP of 22 diabetic and 84 cardiovascular non-scheduled medicines has been capped, resulting in estimated annual savings of about ₹350 crore to patients.
- (II) Trade margin of 42 non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines have been capped, resulting in reduction in prices of about 526 brands of medicines by an average of about 50%, resulting in estimated annual savings of about ₹ 984 crore to patients.
- (III) Ceiling  prices  of  orthopaedic  knee  implants  have  been  fixed,  resulting  in estimated annual savings of about ₹1,500 crore to patients.
- (IV) The  trade  margins  of  oxygen  concentrators,  pulse  oximeter,  blood  pressure monitoring machine, nebuliser, digital thermometer and glucometer were also capped in June/July 2021, resulting in estimated annual savings of about ₹1,000 crore to consumers.

The details of prices fixed by NPPA is available on its website (nppaindia.nic.in).

In addition, the following steps have been taken to make medicines available at affordable prices:

- (i) The Government has launched the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana scheme with the objective of making quality generic medicines available at affordable prices  to  all.  Under  the  scheme,  dedicated  outlets  known  as  Jan  Aushadhi  Kendras (JAKs)  have  been  opened  to  provide  quality  generic  medicines  at  prices  that  are typically 50% to 80% cheaper than leading branded medicines in the market. 16,912 JAKs have been opened across the country till 30.6.2025. 2,110 types of medicines and 315 surgicals, medical consumables and devices are covered under the product basket of  the  scheme,  covering  all  major  therapeutic  groups,  such  as  cardiovascular,  anticancers, anti-diabetics, anti-infectives, anti-allergic and gastro-intestinal medicines and nutraceuticals. Janaushadhi medicines with MRP worth ₹7,700 crore have been sold till date,  resulting  in  savings  of  about  ₹38,000  crore  to  citizens  in  comparison  to  the maximum retail prices of corresponding branded medicines.
- (ii) Under  Ayushman  Bharat  Pradhan  Mantri  Jan  Arogya  Yojana  of  the  Department  of Health and Family Welfare, health assurance/insurance cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year is provided for secondary or tertiary care hospitalisation. Over 41 crore persons have been issued PMJAY cards and coverage under the scheme includes medicines.
- (iii) The Free Drugs Service Initiative of the National Health Mission (NHM) under the Department of Health and Family Welfare, essential drugs are provided free of cost in public health facilities.
- (iv) Under  the  initiative  Affordable  Medicines  and  Reliable  Implants  for  Treatment (AMRIT) of the Department of Health and Family Welfare, affordable medicines are provided  for  the  treatment  of  cancer,  cardiovascular  and  other  diseases,  implants, surgical disposables and other consumables etc., at a significant discount of up to 50% on market rates through AMRIT Pharmacy stores set up in a number of hospitals and healthcare institutions.
- (v) Financial assistance is provided to poor patients belonging to families living below the poverty line, who suffer from major life-threatening diseases including cancer, under the umbrella scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi and the Health Minister's Discretionary Grant.

*****