Maharashtra FDA found hospital consumable markups reaching 2,841% in surveyed cases.
An IV set bought for ₹11.05 carried a printed MRP of ₹325.
Mundhe has sought margin controls, price monitoring and clearer regulatory guidelines.
Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has flagged sharp price disparities in commonly used hospital consumables, with some products carrying MRPs that translate into markups of up to 2,841%.
Mundhe asked the Department of Pharmaceuticals and the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) to review the findings of a Maharashtra government survey, Mint reported.
The survey covered products used in inpatient care, including intravenous infusion sets, syringes, nebulisers, oxygen masks and catheters. It compared hospital procurement costs with printed maximum retail prices and amounts charged to patients.
IV Set Bought For ₹11, MRP At ₹325
A hospital purchased an IV infusion set for ₹11.05, while its MRP stood at ₹325—a markup of about 2,841%.
A syringe procured for ₹6.75 carried an MRP of ₹57.20. A catheter purchased for ₹29.41 had an MRP of ₹310.
Mundhe said patients rarely know the procurement cost of these products and cannot compare prices during treatment. They also have little scope to seek alternatives or question the cost of consumables used during hospitalisation.
In a social-media post, he described the gap between trade prices and patient charges as a public-health and patient-protection issue, not merely a pricing concern.
Mundhe Seeks Clear Pricing Rules
Mundhe recommended guidelines limiting the difference between procurement prices and declared MRPs. He also proposed rationalising trade margins and considering price monitoring or caps for essential medical devices.
According to Mint, the NPPA is examining whether manufacturers and intermediaries add excessive margins before products reach patients. It is comparing company filings and internal price lists with the Maharashtra survey.
Drug-control authorities in Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu have reportedly raised similar concerns.
What Current Regulations Say
The NPPA fixes ceiling prices for scheduled formulations and specified medical devices under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013.
For non-scheduled products, Paragraph 20 limits MRP increases to 10% over 12 months. However, it does not set a uniform ceiling price for every medical device or consumable.
The regulator has previously capped the prices of coronary stents and knee implants. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it also rationalised trade margins on oxygen concentrators and some widely used medical devices.
Hospitals Call For Balanced Regulation
Dr Aashish Chaudhry, managing director of Aakash Healthcare, told Mint that regulation should strengthen transparency and accountability without undermining hospitals’ financial viability.
He said hospitals must be able to continue investing in infrastructure, technology and patient safety.
The findings come as Mundhe-led enforcement drives receive wider attention in Maharashtra. The FDA has recently inspected and raided several establishments over alleged food-safety violations.
