Porni Banerjee | ০১ এপ্রিল ২০২৪ ১৬ : ০৫

The central government is set to raise the cost of essential medicines by included in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) from April 1, 2024. The prices are expected to surge by 0.0055 percent owing to a significant rise in the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), which reached 12.12 per cent between January 2023 and this year.

“Based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) data provided by the office of the Economic Advisor, Department of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the annual change in WPI works out as (+)0.00551% during the calendar year 2023 over the corresponding period in 2022,” the notification from National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) read.

Pain killers like Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Mefenamic acid, Paracetamol, Morphine and anti-TB medicines like Amikacin, Bedaquiline, Clarithromycin and Anticonvulsants like Clobazam, Diazepam, Lorazepam will witness a price hike.

Here is a complete list of other medicines that will become expensive:
Anticonvulsants: Clobazam, Diazepam, Lorazepam

Antidotes in Poisoning: Activated Charcoal, D-Penicillamine, Nalaxone, Snake venom antiserum

Antibiotics: Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Benzylpenicillin, Cefadroxil, Cefazolin, Ceftriaxone

Covid management medicines

Anaemia medicines: Folic Acid, Iron Sucrose, Hydroxocobalamin, etc.

Parkinsons and Dementia: Flunarizine, Propranolol, Donepezil

HIV management medicines: Abacavir, Lamivudine, Zidovudine, Efavirenz, Nevirapine, Raltegravir, Dolutegravir, Ritonavir, etc.

Antifungal: Clotrimazole, Fluconazole, Mupirocin, Nystatin, Terbinafine, etc.

Cardiovascular medicines: Dilitazem, Metoprolol, Digoxin, Verapramil, Amlodipine, Ramipril, Telmisarten, etc.

Dermatological medicines

Plasma and Plasma substitutes

Antiviral medicines: Acyclovir, Valganciclovir, etc.

Malaria medicines: Artesunate, Artemether, Chloroquine, Clindamycin, Quinine, Primaquine, etc.

Cancer treatment medicines: 5-Fluorouracil, Actinomycin D, All-trans retinoic acid, Arsenic trioxide, Calcium folinate, etc.

Antiseptics and Disinfectants: Chlorohexidine, Ethyl Alcohol, Hydrogen peroxide, Povidine iodine, Potassium permanganate, etc.

General anaesthetics and oxygen medicines like Halothane, Isoflurane, Ketamine, Nitrous oxide, etc.