The government has recently approved a price increase for four critical medicines, including two widely used chemotherapy drugs, to address the shortage affecting cancer patients in the country.
In a letter dated June 7, the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) informed the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) about this approval. It noted that the NPPA had sought permission to increase prices for these formulations.
The drugs involved are cisplatin and carboplatin, both platinum-based chemotherapy medications, alongside two anti-tetanus injections. These drugs are essential and have their prices regulated under the Drug Prices Control Order of 2013, which allows manufacturers to raise prices once a year based on wholesale price changes.
The DoP has instructed the NPPA to take into account the rising costs of raw materials when considering the price hike. It has been suggested that the proposed price increase should be based on data provided by the companies and assessed by the NPPA, with adjustments typically ranging between 10% and 50% from the last price set.
Additionally, the DoP has encouraged the NPPA to review other requests from the pharmaceutical industry that may seek price increases.
