This order from the NPPA fixes prices of 41 Items on June 3, 2025. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has set retail prices for 41 medicines, effective 3 June 2025. specific pharmaceutical formulations, excluding Goods and Services Tax (GST). It mandates that manufacturers and marketing companies adhere to these prices and outlines compliance requirements, including the issuance of price lists and display of pricing information. Non-compliance will result in penalties under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, and the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. This order supersedes any prior price orders for the specified formulations and manufacturers.

Also Read: Latest DPCO price list 2025

Key Themes & Important Facts about this order

1. Price Fixation for Specific Formulations: * The core purpose of this order is to establish “the retail price, exclusive of Goods and Services Tax, if any, in relation to the formulation specified in the corresponding entry in column (2) of the said Table with the strength, unit and name of manufacturer & marketing company, as specified in the corresponding entries in columns (3), (4) and (5) thereof.” * A comprehensive table lists 41 medicines, detailing their: * Strength: e.g., “Sodium Alginate IP 250 mg Sodium Bicarbonate IP 133.5 mg Calcium Carbonate IP 80 mg” for Alginate Raft-Forming Oral Suspension. * Unit: e.g., “1 ml”, “1 Tablet”, “1 vial”, “1 gm”. * Manufacturer & Marketing Company: Typically, two companies are listed, indicating manufacturing and marketing partnerships or alternative manufacturers. * Retail Price (Rs.): The fixed maximum retail price for each unit, ranging from ₹0.23 (Iron, Folic Acid & Cyanocobalamin Syrup) to ₹515.57 (Ceftriaxone, Sulbactam & Disodium Edetate Powder for solution for Infusion).

2. Scope of Application: * The fixed retail prices apply only to the “manufacturer / marketer as mentioned above i.e. who have applied for the same by submitting Form-I for price fixation / revision as stipulated under DPCO, 2013”. * It is also contingent on “fulfilment of all the applicable statutory requirements as laid down by the Govt. under relevant statutes/ rules, including manufacturing license permission from the Competent Authority i.e. the Central/State Licensing Authority”.

3. Inclusion/Exclusion of GST: * Manufacturers “may add Goods and Services Tax only if they have paid actually or it is payable to the Government on the retail price mentioned in column (6) of the above said table.” This explicitly states that the listed prices are exclusive of GST.

4. Compliance and Enforcement: * Price List Issuance: Manufacturers are mandated to “issue a price list in Form–V from date of Notification as per paragraph 24 of the DPCO, 2013 to NPPA through IPDMS and submit a copy to State Drug Controller and dealers.” * Display of Price Lists: “every retailer and dealer shall display price list and the supplementary price list, if any, as furnished by the manufacturer, on a conspicuous part of the premises where he carries on business in a manner so as to be easily accessible to any person wishing to consult the same.” This ensures price transparency for consumers. * Penalties for Non-Compliance: “In case the retail price of any of the aforesaid formulations is not complied with, as per instant price notification and notes specified hereinabove, then the concerned manufacturer/marketing company shall be liable to deposit the overcharged amount along with the interest thereon under the provisions of the DPCO, 2013 read with the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.” This highlights the serious consequences of price violations.

5. Supersession of Previous Orders: * This order explicitly states that “the price order(s) fixing the retail price of the formulation with specified strength for that Manufacturer & Marketing Companies as specified in corresponding entries in Column (2), (3) and (5) thereof, if any, issued prior to this notification, stand(s) superseded.” This ensures the newly fixed prices are the prevailing legal rates.

III. Notable Drug Categories and Examples

The listed drugs cover a range of therapeutic areas, including:

• Consumer Benefit: The order aims to make essential medicines more affordable by fixing maximum retail prices, protecting consumers from arbitrary price hikes.
• Industry Regulation: Manufacturers and marketing companies are legally bound by these prices, promoting greater transparency and accountability in the pharmaceutical market.
• Compliance Burden: Manufacturers and retailers have a clear responsibility to adhere to the specified prices and display them publicly, requiring robust internal processes for price management and communication.
• Market Dynamics: The detailed listing of multiple manufacturers for several formulations (particularly for diabetes drugs) suggests a competitive landscape where price control is deemed necessary.

IV. Implications

• Gastrointestinal: Alginate Raft-Forming Oral Suspension (Item 1)
• Cardiovascular/Lipid Management: Atorvastatin & Ezetimibe Tablets (Items 2, 3)
• Antibiotics: Ceftriaxone, Sulbactam & Disodium Edetate Powder for solution for Infusion (Item 4), Cefuroxime & Potassium Clavulanate Tablets (Item 5), Clindamycin & Nicotinamide gel (Item 7)
• Vitamins/Nutritional Supplements: Cholecalciferol Oral Drops (Item 6), Iron, Folic Acid & Cyanocobalamin Syrup (Item 8)
• Sleep/Insomnia: Melatonin & Zolpidem Tartrate Tablets (Items 9, 10)
• Pain/Anti-inflammatory: Polmacoxib & Paracetamol Tablets (Item 11)
• Diabetes Management (SGLT2 inhibitors and Metformin combinations):Empagliflozin & Metformin Hydrochloride (ER) Tablets (Items 12-18)
• Empagliflozin, Linagliptin & Metformin Hydrochloride (ER) Tablets (Items 19-29) – These combinations appear frequently with various manufacturers/marketing companies, indicating a focus on diabetes drug pricing.
• Sitagliptin, Glimepiride & Metformin Hydrochloride Tablets (Items 30-40) – Another prominent category for diabetes management, also with multiple manufacturer listings.
• Cold/Allergy: Phenylephrine Hydrochloride & Chlorpheniramine Maleate Syrup (Item 41)