Medicine price hike to hit patients with heart diseases and cancers

Thrissur: The change in price of essential medicines in tandem with Wholesale Price Index (WPI), has come into effect on April 1. Pricing of these medicines are under the control of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, which regulates prices of 900 items including medicines, medical equipment and glucose.

The price of 872 chemical elements have risen due to the 10.8 per cent hike, on the back of annual change in Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for the calendar year 2021 over the corresponding period of 2020.  In effect, around 3,000 medicine brands will witness a hike as they rely on these chemical elements. It is important to note that, apart from this hike, there will be GST too.  

The price of targeted cancer drug Trastuzumab, widely used in treatment of breast cancer and other intestinal cancers, has been hiked steeply. A packet of  Trastuzumab 440 mg/50 ml injection drug which costs Rs 60,296.66, is now at Rs 66,790.46.

Similarly, the price of two types of stents used in treating heart diseases too witnessed a steep hike. A drug-eluting stent which was Rs 30,811 is now at Rs 34,128.13. While bare-metal stent, which was Rs 8,462, is now at Rs 9373.03.

Apart from these two categories, the price of medicines under the categories pain relief, diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, gastro and antibiotics have significantly risen.