Last Updated on January 8, 2024 by The Health Master
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has allocated Rs. 23.70 lakhs for setting up of Price Monitoring and Research Unit (PMRU) in the Directorate of Food and Drugs Administration, Goa to track price violations by pharmaceutical companies across the state.
Goa becomes the 16th state to have sanctioned funds as per the mandate of Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) to track drug ceiling price violations in the country.
With the setting up of PMRUs, violations of drug ceiling pricing reported will be dealt timely with the help of the state NPPA cell in coordination with the NPPA in cases of contraventions to the provisions of Drug Price Control Order (DPCO-2013).
While the expenditure related to manpower, amenities and other infrastructural cost will be borne by the Centre, state government will have to provide the space for setting up the office within the state drug regulatory office, as per the plan.
This comes close on the heels of Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) all set to kickstart operations of its PMRU with a team of seven people in its Mumbai headquarters.
Staff is in the process of being recruited for the successful implementation of the PMRU for all the 36 districts of Maharashtra.
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PMRUs have also already been set up in 15 states including Kerala, Gujarat, Odisha , Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir , Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka.
NPPA had in 2016 proposed a plan to set up a ceiling price violation cell in each state to take action for any contravention to the provisions of Drug Price Control Order (DPCO-2013).
As per a notification, NPPA had proposed to set up PMRUs in states and Union territories (UTs) to support state drug controllers and through initiating a Central scheme of assistance at state level and UTs.
A total 21 states had given their consent for the formation of the PMRU in the past two years. These were Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Punjab, Tripura, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Nagaland, Goa, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
“Each unit will function under the direct supervision of the state drug controller. PMRUs will be the key collaborating partners of NPPA, with information-gathering mechanisms at the grassroots level.
PMRUs will also ensure that the benefits of DPCO percolate down to the grassroots level. The Central funding will be for an initial period of five years subject to a mid-term review,” the notification stated.
Through the PMRUs, NPPA will closely work with the state drug regulators to find out any discrepancies that affect the consumers.
The officials heading the cell will report their findings to the NPPA directly in case they find any pharma company violating the law by selling the drugs above the ceiling price.
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