Thrissur: The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has revised the prices of respiratory drugs, resulting in a significant increase compared to current market rates. The new prices for combination medications used for asthma and breathlessness are notably higher.

According to the NPPA's decision, the new price for inhaler medication is Rs 6.95 per dose. For a standard pack of 120 doses, this amounts to Rs 834 plus tax. However, the current market price for leading inhaler brands is approximately Rs 500.

Recently, prices for medications used to treat heart disease, diabetes, infections, asthma, body pain, and allergies were revised. It was reported that the price of the combination medication containing budesonide and formoterol for breathlessness had dropped from Rs 3,800 to Rs 792. However, this information appears to be incorrect. It has been revealed that the NPPA's price determination is flawed due to the inclusion of both cover price and box price provided by companies. There is ambiguity regarding the basis for the committee's calculations.

Nevertheless, there has been a price reduction for medications used in injections against infections. Currently, the top brands of this medication are priced at around Rs 4,000. Without tax, this would now cost only Rs 2,075.

Public health activist Dr B Ekbal stated that drug price regulation has been flawed for a long time. “The revolutionary drug price control law was introduced during the Janata Government in 1977. It has been diluted multiple times since then. Most recently, the method of cost-based pricing was replaced by market-based pricing. Accurate data is not available anywhere. Kerala, which has a higher consumption of medications, will be more affected by the high prices,” he added.