5772 Complaints Of Overcharging Of Drugs Received In NPPA: MoS Tells Rajya Sabha
A total of 5772 complaints alleging overcharging were received in National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) over the five-year period of 2018-19 to 2022-23, Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Bhagwanth Khuba told Rajya Sabha in a written reply on Tuesday.
Khuba further said "Drugs Price Control Order 2013, inter-alia, contains provisions to regulate the prices of drugs sold in the country. The NPPA monitors the prices of scheduled as well as non-scheduled medicines under DPCO, 2013 and takes action against companies found overcharging the consumers."
The MoS further added that action is taken based on the complaints received from Price Monitoring Resource Units (PMRUs), the State Drugs Controllers; individuals; samples purchased from the open market; reports from market-based data; and complaints reported through the grievance redressal websites, ‘Pharma Jan Samadhan’, Mobile App ‘Pharma Sahi Daam’, and ‘Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS)’.
"In addition, NPPA has a Helpline 1800-111-255/email: monitoring-nppa@gov.in, on which complaints on shortage, overcharging of drugs are received from consumers across the country. The Government takes action against companies found overcharging the consumers under the relevant provisions of DPCO, 2013," Khuba informed the Upper House.
