The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) announced that prices of essential medicines, including antibiotics, painkillers, and more, will experience a slight rise starting April 1.
“The NPPA announced that the adjustment will amount to 0.0055 percent for medicines listed under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), in accordance with the annual change in the wholesale price index (WPI).
“NPPA stated, ‘Based on the WPI data provided by the Office of the Economic Advisor, Department of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the annual change in WPI amounts to (+) 0.00551% during the calendar year 2023 over the corresponding period in 2022.”
“This price increase follows previous hikes of 12 percent last year and 10 percent in 2022. The revised prices will affect over 800 drugs on the list, encompassing medications such as paracetamol, azithromycin, vitamins, minerals, certain COVID-19 treatments, and steroids.”