The government has capped the trade margin on five medical devices extensively used for treatment and prevention of COVID-19 — pulse oximeters, digital thermometers, blood pressure monitoring machines, nebulizers, and glucometer — with immediate effect.
With an aim to make the medical devices affordable during the evolving situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is felt necessary to regulate the trade margin on these medical devices, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority said in its order.
The margin has been capped up to 70 per cent on Price to Distributor (PTD) level. A total of 684 products, brands of such medical devices have witnessed downward revision of prices and 620 products/brands (91 per cent) have reported downward revision of MRP, and downward revision has been reported in the prices of imported pulse oximeters, according to the ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
The maximum downward revision has been reported by an imported brand of pulse oximeter, showing reduction of Rs 2,95,375 per unit. And the downward revision of MRP has been reported by imported and domestic brands across all the categories, the ministry said.
The highest reduction in prices by importers has been on pulse oximeters, blood pressure monitoring machines and nebulisers, it added.
The revised MRP effective from July 20, 2021 on all the brands and specifications has been shared by the Ministry with the state drug controllers for strict monitoring and enforcement.
“In larger public interest, Government caps Trade Margin for 5 Medical Devices, effective from July 20..It will hugely reduce prices of Medical devices,” Minister of Health and Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh L Mandaviya tweeted.
It had noted that the data collected from the manufacturers /marketers/importers pointed out that existing trade margins on the five medical devices ranged up to 709 per cent from price to distributor to MRP level.
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