ALERT! Prices of paracetamol, azithromycin among other essential medicines to increase from April 1

Medicines price hike: Alert for all as trip to chemist can now cost you more as essential medicines such as painkillers, antibiotics, and anti-infectives might get costlier for people starting next week from April 1.

The revised medicine price hike will cover around 800 drugs/medicines. Among these are widely used medications such as paracetamol, azithromycin, vitamins, minerals, certain Covid-19 treatment drugs, and steroids.

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This decision has been announced by the drug pricing regulatory body indicating a minuscule annual rise of 0.0055% in the prices of drugs listed under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) in accordance with the annual change in the wholesale price index.

As per the notice issued by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), the adjustment is 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 the WPI for the calendar year 2023 compared to the corresponding period in 2022 is calculated to be (+) 0.00551%.

Notably, the increase in medicine prices comes on the heels of previous hikes, with medicine prices witnessing a 12% surge last year and a 10% rise in 2022.

Increase in prices of essential medicines might seem insignificant on the surface, as its repercussions underscore broader challenges concerning healthcare affordability and accessibility.

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(With inputs from agencies)

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