Following complaints of overcharging by hospitals for coronary stents, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority of India (NPPA) has released an update on action taken in the matter. The list shows complaints of overcharging against 40 hospitals across the country.
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Under the scanner are several hospitals such as Max hospital and BLK Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi, PGI hospital in Chandigarh, Lilalwati Hospital in Mumbai and Medanta Medicity in Gurgaon. In several instances, the regulator has referred the case to the State Drug Controller for an audit. This audit would mean that all cases of coronary stents between February 14 to March 15 this year, would be looked in to asses whether the pricing norm was flouted.
The move comes in the wake of the price cap on stents by the NPPA in February—prices of stents were slashed by almost 85 per cent. The ceiling price of bare metal stents had been fixed at Rs 7,260 and that of drug eluting stents and biodegradable stents at Rs 29,600.
The decision has been controversial, with at least one company pulling out bioabsorbable stents from the Indian market, citing the price ceiling decision. The price cap that was supposed to provide huge relief to cardiac patients has also encountered a roadblock with some corporate hospitals allegedly compensating for the slashing of prices by hiking various procedure charges. Some hospitals are also resorting to practices such as charging for two stents (when they have used only one), said a New Delhi-based doctor, who did not want to be named.
In that context, the NPPA's swift action on complaints of overcharging holds promise for cardiac patients hoping to benefit from the stents' price cap.
