Assam: 137 cancer medicines must sell at lower MRP from November 9

Patients buying cancer medicines in Assam should pay less from Monday, November 9. The Assam Drugs Control Administration has directed every retailer, distributor, stockist and hospital in the state to sell 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs at revised, lower maximum retail prices (MRP) from that date, Pratidin Time reported on Monday, November 2.

The state regulator also warned that it will run a 90-day inspection drive across Assam to check that the new prices are being followed.

Where the price cut comes from

The order in Assam enforces a national decision. Through a Gazette notification dated October 17, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) capped trade margins on the listed cancer drugs at 30 per cent of MRP. It used Paragraph 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, which lets the government intervene in drug pricing in the public interest.

The cap applies to any non-scheduled formulation containing the listed drugs, whether sold alone or in combination, and it covers patented medicines too. The list includes medicines used for several types of cancer, among them immunotherapy drugs. Nivolumab, olaparib, denosumab and topotecan are on the list.

Why it matters for patients

According to the report, the NPPA acted after finding that non-scheduled cancer medicines carried an average trade mark-up of about 170 per cent, and as much as 700 per cent in some cases. Depending on how a brand was priced earlier, retail prices could fall by up to 70 per cent.

Cancer treatment is a heavy financial burden for many families in the Northeast, where cancer rates are among the highest in India. Many patients from the region also travel to other states for treatment and buy expensive medicines for months at a time.

The move builds on a 2019 pilot in which margins on 42 anti-cancer drugs were capped at 30 per cent. That exercise cut prices of 526 brands, some by as much as 90 per cent.

What sellers must do

Under the notice, every retail pharmacy, hospital dispensary, stockist and distributor must display the revised prices prominently on their premises, as required by Paragraph 25(3) of the 2013 order. The full NPPA orders and the updated price lists can be downloaded from the NPPA website.

Any shop or establishment found selling these drugs above the new MRP will face action under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order and the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. "Immediate and strict compliance is mandated," the Drugs Control Administration said in its directive.

Patients who are charged more than the revised price can raise a complaint with the state drugs control administration or with the NPPA, which runs a grievance system for overpricing.