TNNUpdated: Oct 09, 2026, 16:41 IST IST
A cancer drug supplied to a retailer for Rs 2,700 carried a Rs 27,000 MRP. After the Supreme Court questioned the gap, TOI examines where the money can go and what might lower patients’ bills
Under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, ceiling prices were fixed for 3,482 medicines, of which 1,924 are diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular drugs.
These medicines, classified as scheduled or essential drugs, represent about 18% of the domestic pharma retail market, valued at around Rs 3 lakh crore. Their prices are revised annually based on the Wholesale Price Index for the preceding calendar year, on April 1. The remaining medicines are non-scheduled drugs and face no price cap. Their prices may be increased by up to 10% in a year.