Channel: The Wire

Category: News & Politics

Tags: nppapoliticspharmaceuticalmedicineshealth ministryformulatorallyskinindiainflationtop newsproductspriceresponsibleinjectedindian economynationalparacetamolpetroleumpricestop headlineshealth carethe wire videoscommitteedrugseconomythe wire newsincreaselistantimalarialelectionsnews livepopulationthe wirelatest newslatest from indiapainkillersauthoritythe wire hindiindia newsexpertsevaluateformsessentialwho

Description: The price of petroleum products has gone up. What followed was the increase in the price of essential medicines. The National Pharmaceutical Authority of India, or NPPA, is responsible for fixing the prices of these medicines. It announced in March that their prices would increase by 10% from April 1. Its excuse to increase the price of these essential drugs is inflation. 377 medicines fall under the ‘National List of Essential Medicines’. They include commonly used drugs like paracetamol, painkillers, antimalarial drugs, et cetera. These medicines exist in many forms. They can be taken orally, can be injected into the body, can be applied on the skin, and so forth. Together, there are 871 such formulations of 377 drugs These drugs have been categorised into 30 categories. The health ministry has created a committee of experts. These experts evaluate different drugs and decide whether they should be included in the list. The last time they updated the list was in 2015. The NPPA caps the prices of these drugs to ensure that they are accessible to everyone. According to the WHO, essential medicines must – quote – “satisfy the priority health care needs of a population” Join The Wire's Youtube Membership and get exclusive content, member-only emojis, live interaction with The Wire's founders, editors and reporters and much more. Memberships to The Wire Crew start at Rs 89/month. youtube.com/channel/UChWtJey46brNr7qHQpN6KLQ/join