Price cap on concentrators, five other medical devices extended

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has extended the capping of the trade margin of oxygen concentrators and five other medical devices which it had imposed in the year 2021. In a recent meeting held in the NPPA, the drug pricing regulator «deliberated upon the matter and directed that the MRPs of five medical devices namely pulse oximeter, blood pressure monitoring machine, nebulizer, digital thermometer, glucometer shall continue to be monitored as per para 20(1) of DPCO 2013,» said the minutes of the meeting.

To ensure its uninterrupted availability, price regulation was introduced during Covid-19 pandemic. The TMR was earlier extended in March 2023 as it was expiring in March considering that the virus continues to be a threat for the public health in the country.

The price regulations were extended till June 30, 2023 or till further order, whichever is earlier. However, in a meeting held on June 19, the NPPA decided to extend it further.

The TMR for oxygen concentrators was announced in June, 2021. According to the government notification it had put a cap at 70% on the trade margin of oxygen concentrators at the first point of sale.