Thrissur: The price of essential medicines will be skyrocketing to historic highs on the back of annual change in Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for the calendar year 2021 over the corresponding period of 2020. The price of medicines will witness a hike of 10.8 per cent with effect from April 1.

Patients of lifestyle diseases will face the heat of price hike. They require repeated intakes and that will burn holes in their pockets.

Kerala is a hub of diseases like diabetes, heart diseases, blood pressure and fat sedimentation. It is estimated that the average monthly spending of most households in the state for medicines is approximately at Rs 1,000. The price hike will impact them badly.

It is the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority which regulates prices of 900 items including medicines, medical equipment and glucose. In that 871 are chemical elements. The brands of these chemical elements total more than ten thousand. For instance, chemical element paracetamol is available in 1,500 brands.

A committee in National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority decides the pricing of the items in the list. There is provision to increase the prices of medicines on the basis of Wholesale Price Index (WPI).