Govt mulls setting CGHS price of stent as cap under NLEM

NPPA also proposes a 10% hike in stent prices if the CGHS model is adopted

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has proposed a few options for capping stent prices, just before its three-day consultation with all stakeholders, which starts tomorrow.

In July, stents were brought under National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) which led to capping of their prices. For this, the exercise of consultations began in August, with industry lobbies at loggerheads over how drug-eluting stents that vary in quality should be treated. In December, the Department of Pharmaceuticals included stents under the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO), 2013 following which, the pricing authority started the pricing process, which it now wants to complete