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- Drug price regulator, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has approved hike in prices of coronary stents by 4.2%. It was increased after taking into consideration the inflation of the previous year.
- As per the new prices notified by the NPPA, a bare metal stent (BMS) would now cost Rs. 8,261 while the drug eluting stent (DES) will cost Rs. 30,080.
- In February 2017, Government had capped the prices of coronary stents by as much as 85% to check unethical profiteering and exploitative pricing and to ensure fair, reasonable and affordable price for coronary stents.
- The government had taken the decision based on a sub-committee report that recommended putting all types of stents onto the National List of Essential Medicines(NLEM) list. Medicines and devices listed in the NLEM must be sold at a price fixed by NPPA.
- A coronary stent is a tube-shaped device placed in the arteries that supplies blood to heart. It keeps the arteries open in the treatment of coronary heart diseases.
- NPPA is an 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.
