127 medicines including Paracetamol may get cheaper soon

At least 127 drugs may soon get cheaper after the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) capped the prices for the fifth consecutive time this year. The medicines including Paracetamol, Amoxycillin, Rabeprazole and Metformin might see a decline in price after the rate cut, sources said.

Hopefully, the medicines with new price tags will be available from January last week in 2023.

Paracetamol (650mg), which is sold for Rs 2.3 per tablet will be available for Rs 1.8 per tablet. Similarly, the amoxicillin and potassium clavulanate which was being sold at Rs 22.3 will be available for Rs 16.8 per tablet. Furthermore, moxifloxacin (400mg) has been reduced to Rs 22.8 per tablet from Rs 31.5. The medicines are best used for treating bacterial infections like pneumonia.

On the other hand, a few medicines saw a rise in price. Medicines like metformin (500mg), used in the treatment of Type II diabetes, have been increased from Rs 1.7 to Rs 1.8.

Speaking about the price change, Rajiv Singhal, general secretary of the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) said to TOI, “This is a welcome move. But some medicines like paracetamol have already seen lowest prices. With the price of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) on the rise, there is less room left for the manufacturers to curtail the prices further. I hope the supplies are not affected in the future.”

Similarly, Sajal Ganguly, secretary of the Bengal Chemists and Druggists Association said the medicines with the new price tags will start arriving by January-end. 

He stated, “It normally takes a month for the medicines with new prices to arrive in the market. We should get the new stock by the end of next month.”