In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of India is working to ensure sufficient availability of critical medical equipment for clinical management. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW) has identified essential devices and requested the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) to monitor their availability and prices.
All medical devices have been notified as drugs and are regulated under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Drugs (Prices) Control Order, 2013, effective from April 1, 2020. Under these regulations, NPPA has directed manufacturers and importers of pulse oximeters and oxygen concentrators to ensure that prices do not increase by more than 10% in a year.
A stakeholder consultation held on July 1, 2020, emphasized that manufacturers and importers must maintain adequate supply of critical devices. NPPA Chairman highlighted that this is not “business as usual” and urged the industry to avoid profiteering during the public health emergency. Industry associations have also been asked to consider reducing retail prices in the public interest, following the example of N-95 mask manufacturers.
