UP government orders hospital pharmacies to display purchase, sale prices of medicines from Nov 1

The Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration (UPFSDA) has ordered hospital pharmacies to display the purchase and sale prices of medicines starting from November 1, aiming to increase price transparency. Additionally, all retail pharmacies are required to create public websites with their license number, appointed pharmacist, licensed premises, and stock details, with updates to be made weekly.

The move is prompted by concerns over the wide gap between the procurement cost and the price charged to patients, with some hospitals reportedly charging up to 67 times the procurement price. The UPFSDA has also sought the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) to review drug trade margins, MRP fixation, and price controls on high-margin medicines and medical devices.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.