Medicines included in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) will witness a slight increase in prices from today (April 1). This will impact the costs of more than 800 drugs on the National List of Essential Medicines as from April 2024, companies will take a 0.0055 percent hike
“Based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) data provided by the office of the Economic Advisor, Department of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the annual change in WPI works out as (+)0.00551% during the calendar year 2023 over the corresponding period in 2022,” the notification from National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) read.
List of medicines to be costlier from April 1:
Pain killers like Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Mefenamic acid, Paracetmol, Morphine will become expensive from today.
Anti-TB medicine like Amikacin, Bedaquiline, Clarithromycin and Anticonvulsants like Clobazam, Diazepam, Lorazepam will also become costlier.
Antidotes in poisoning like activated Charcoal, D-Penicillamine, Nalaxone, Snake venom antiserum will also become costly as will Antibiotics like Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Benzylpenicillin, Cefadroxil, Cefazolin, Ceftriaxone.
Covid management medicines are also set to cost more today onwards.
Other medicines that will become costlier include: Anaemia medicines like Folic Acid, Iron Sucrose, Hydroxocobalamin; Parkinsons and Dementia medicines like Flunarizine, Propranolol, Donepezil; HIV management medicines like Abacavir, Lamivudine, Zidovudine, Efavirenz, Nevirapine, Raltegravir, Dolutegravir, Ritonavir; Antifungal medicines like Clotrimazole, Fluconazole, Mupirocin, Nystatin, Terbinafine, Cardiovascular medicines like Dilitazem, Metoprolol, Digoxin, Verapramil, Amlodipine, Ramipril, Telmisarten; Malaria medicines like Artesunate, Artemether, Chloroquine, Clindamycin, Quinine, Primaquine; Cancer treatment medicines like 5-Fluorouracil, Actinomycin D, All-trans retinoic acid, Arsenic trioxide, Calcium folinate; Antiseptics and Disinfectants like Chlorohexidine, Ethyl Alcohol, Hydrogen peroxide, Povidine iodine, Potassium permanganate and general anaesthetics and oxygen medicines like Halothane, Isoflurane, Ketamine, Nitrous oxide, etc.