Currently, India has approximately 400 molecules and 960 formulations covered under the National List of Essential Medicines.
The prices of non-essential drugs are also monitored by the government to ensure that the manufacturers of these drugs don’t increase MRP by more than 10% annually.
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) under the Department of Pharmaceuticals annually revises the ceiling prices of scheduled medicines on the basis of WPI.
The scheduled medicines included in Schedule-I of the DPCO, 2013 are essential medicines.
NPPA, constituted by the government of India in 1997 under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, regulates drug pricing while ensuring the availability and accessibility of medicines at affordable prices.