Cardiac Stents Price Capped in India: Now More Affordable
Cardiac Stents Now Under Price Control, NPPA Sets Ceiling Prices
Hyderabad: In a move to make life-saving cardiac stents more affordable, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has issued a notification fixing ceiling prices for all types of stents used in heart surgeries.
Key Points:
Bare Metal Stents: Priced at a maximum of Rs 10,509.79, these are typically made by domestic manufacturers.
Drug Eluting Stents (DES): This category, including metallic DES, Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffolds (BVS), and Biodegradable Stents, will have a ceiling price of Rs 38,267.18.
Transparency and Enforcement: Hospitals are required to display a clear price list for stents, making costs easily accessible to patients.
The NPPA has warned of strict action against companies and individuals who violate the new pricing regime. This includes penalties for manufacturers who overcharge.
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Background:
The inclusion of coronary stents in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) paved the way for price control.
This decision aims to make complex heart surgeries more affordable, especially for low-income patients with a high prevalence of coronary artery disease.
Stents as “Drugs”:
Though stents are medical devices, they were categorized as “drugs” under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act to enable NPPA to regulate their prices.
Overall Impact:
This new regulation by the NPPA is expected to significantly reduce the cost of cardiac stents, making these essential procedures more accessible to a wider range of patients in India.
