Prices Of Coronary Stents Fixed, Rates Down By 80 Per Cent

The notification also ensures that hospitals do not fleece customers in any manner by billing separately for devices and procedures

Arushi Bedi

Updated on: 14 February 2017 10:26 am

In a big relief for heart patients, ceiling price of coronary stents fixed, brings down rates by 80%

Ceiling prices of coronary stents fixed at Rs 29600 for drug eluting stents and Rs 7260 for bare metal stents

In a much awaited move, the National Pharmaceutical Authority of India finally set the ceiling prices of coronary stents at Rs 29600 for Drug eluting stents and Rs 7260 for bare metal stents. The NPPA will be posting this notice today afternoon.

The move comes almost two months after coronary stents were brought under the schedule 1 of the National list of essential medicines on 21 Dec to start the process of price fixation. The current level at which the price have been fixed comes as a huge relief to patients all over the country who had to earlier pay prices varying from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh for a stent.

According to the data submitted by companies while the price fixation was under way and later displayed on the NPPA website, foreign nationals were earning profits of sale of stents of upto 650% of the cost of manufacturing the stent.

The new prices for stents have been fixed under para 19 of the drug (price control) order which takes into consideration extraordinary circumstances for fixing of prices of drugs. It states, “The Government may, in case of extra-ordinary circumstances, if it considers necessary so to do in public interest, fix the ceiling price or retail price of any Drug for such period.”

The notification also ensures that hospitals do not fleece customers in any manner by billing separately for devices and procedures. This has been ensured by the order through para 24 (4) of the DPCO order. This includes displaying an MRP for every stent used as mentioned under the order which states, “Every manufacturer of a schedule formulation intended for sale shall display in indelible print mark, on the label of container of the formulation and the minimum pack thereof offered for retail sale, the maximum retail price of that formulation based on the ceiling price notified in the Official Gazette or ordered by the Government in this behalf with the words "Maximum Retail Price" preceding it and the words 'inclusive of all taxes' succeeding it.”

The move has been welcomed favourably by most civil society fighting for price fixation.