NPPA caps retail price of 30 new drug formulations including Vitamin D3 Oral Solution, Calcium

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has fixed the retail prices of 30 new drug formulations, including several widely used vitamin and mineral supplements such as Vitamin D3 Oral Solution, Calcium, Vitamin D3, Methylcobalamin, L-Methylfolate Calcium and Pyridoxal-5 Phosphate.

The move comes weeks after the regulatory body capped the retail prices of 42 other new and commonly used medicines as part of its efforts to keep essential healthcare products affordable.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, the retail price of a formulation containing Calcium, Vitamin D3, Methylcobalamin, L-Methylfolate Calcium and Pyridoxal-5 Phosphate has been fixed at Rs 19.78 per tablet. Meanwhile, Vitamin D3 Oral Solution has been priced at Rs 19.91 per ml, and a combination of Diclofenac Potassium, Paracetamol and Serratiopeptidase tablets will retail at Rs 10.07 per tablet.

The NPPA clarified that the notified prices are exclusive ofGoods and Services Tax (GST),which may be added separately wherever applicable.

The authority determines drug prices under existing pricing guidelines to ensure that essential and life-saving medicines remain accessible and affordable for consumers. While medicines listed under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) are subject to direct price regulation, non-scheduled drugs generally allow manufacturers to set their own prices.

However, newly approved formulations fall under a separatepricing mechanism.The retail price of such "new drugs" is calculated using the simple average price of all existing brands of the same formulation that have a market share of 1 per cent or more, along with a 16 per cent retailer margin.

The latest price fixation is aimed at maintaining affordability while ensuring fair pricing across the pharmaceutical market.