← 12 October 2026's Current Affairs · Polity GA Prelims ★★★★☆ Mains ★★★☆☆
Centre plans caps on trade margins of cancer drugs
వార్తల్లో ఎందుకు?
Who really sets cancer drug prices? The NPPA and DPCO basics every GS-II health answer needs
The Union government is planning to cap the trade margins on cancer medicines to bring down what patients pay.
Why it matters: factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 నిమి
The Union government is planning to cap the trade margins on cancer medicines to bring down what patients pay.
Prices of scheduled drugs in India are regulated under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority.
మూలాలు: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
ముఖ్య వాస్తవాలు
Remember these
- The Union government plans to cap trade margins on cancer medicines to reduce what patients pay.
- Prices of scheduled drugs are regulated under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO).
- The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) fixes and revises ceiling prices of scheduled drugs.
- Trade margin is the gap between the price at which a drug is sold to the trade and the final retail price paid by the patient.
- The NPPA functions under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
ప్రిలిమ్స్ · మెయిన్స్
How the exam will ask it
ప్రిలిమ్స్
- The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority fixes and revises ceiling prices of scheduled medicines under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order.
- The CDSCO approves drugs and regulates their quality, whereas price control is the NPPA's function.
- A cap on trade margins limits the mark-up added between manufacturer and retailer, so it targets the supply chain rather than the manufacturer's price.
మెయిన్స్
GS-II (Health) and GS-III (Pricing policy). High out-of-pocket spending on cancer drugs strains households; the DPCO and NPPA set ceiling prices, while trade margin caps target mark-ups in the distribution chain. The way forward combines margin rationalisation with better generic availability, transparent price monitoring and wider insurance cover, balanced against industry viability and supply.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
Ceiling prices of scheduled medicines in India are fixed by which authority under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order?
- National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority
- Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation
- Drugs Technical Advisory Board
- Pharmacy Council of India
సమాధానం చూడండి
సమాధానం: A — The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority fixes ceiling prices of scheduled drugs under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order.
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