Bills for pills: Antibiotics could be govt's next segment for price cap

Centre likely to consider rationalising trade margins

The government may consider rationalising trade margins of antibiotics after having done so for cancer drugs.

The expert committee set up to look at prices of drugs and advise the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) could examine this section.

Many antibiotics are already under a price cap. However, this committee could examine the segment as a whole and take a holistic view on price caps in this segment.

A senior government official looking into this matter said: “More than any segment of drugs, it would be beneficial to look at antibiotics. Doctors prescribe antibiotics for anything and everything these days.”