Medical device firms under radar

Amidst reports of rising prices of medical devices including stents, the government has asked the companies to review their pricing and submit maximum retail price (MRP) details of their products to drug price regulator NPPA.

So far, three meetings have taken place between senior officials of Department of Pharmaceuticals, NPPA, ministry of health, medical device companies and industry bodies over the issue of unreasonably high prices of stents and other medical devices.

“There have been cases where companies are selling imported stents for at least three to four times of its actual landed cost in India, so this is not justified, the companies need to review their pricing”, a senior official said.

It has been conveyed to the companies that the government can take remedial measures to make the pricing of medical devices reasonable, he added. “Reports say that stent selling companies give huge commissions to hospitals and doctors, a reason for over-priced products,” he said.