Hyderabad: Thanks to removable stickers, the MRP of medical implants and devices is getting changed at the dealer level, a random survey by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has found. A drug control officer said, “There is illegal activity. The prices of products are changed once the goods enter India. The price tags change. This situation is exploited. To curtail this practice, all importers and manufacturers have been asked to submit maximum retail prices.” With the healthcare industry being driven by implants and devices, it is important to ensure the end-user (patient) does not pay too much. An official said, “A transparent labeling policy is being thought of so that the end-user is aware of the actual price.” At present, 70 per cent of the devices used in corporate hospitals are imported and only 30 per cent are manufactured in India, which are mostly used for government schemes.
