Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) notified that "Coronary Stents" will be included in Drugs Price Control Order (DPCO), soon. This Order may be called the Drugs (Prices Control) third amendment Order, 2016.
NPPA (National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority) is currently working on fixing ceiling prices of stents as the government has notified it in the DPCO, 2013. Also in past, they shown strong intension by organising various meetings with stakeholders and asking government to fix pricing of Coronary Stents.
In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (10 of 1955), the Central Government has rights to further amend the DPCO, 2013. They notified that "Coronary Stents including, Bare Metal Stents (BMS) and Drug Eluting Stents (DES) which include metallic DES and Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold (BVS) / Biodegradable stents shall be inserted in DPCO, 2013."
As per experts, bringing Coronary Stents under DPCO will hinder the growth of stents technology in India and it may create chaotic environment in the medical technology industries.
But if we see this decision for public prospectus, it will be surly helpful for economically backward population of the country. It is estimated that in 2011 cardiology hospitals in India placed over 200,000 coronary stents by conducting over 120,000 coronary angioplasties.
Talks are going on for long back, but this is the first time DoP notified in specific manner that, "It shall come into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette."
