Earlier in September, Dr. Manshukh Mandaviya, Union Health Minister, released a revised National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). In the new list, 34 new drugs were added and 26 were dropped from the updated list of essential medicines. The new drugs on the list also include de-addiction formulations of buprenorphine tablets, nicotine replacement therapy, cardiovascular tablet dabigatran and injection Tenecteplase, and an indigenous rotavirus vaccine.

The listed medicines and devices cannot be sold above the prices fixed by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).

As per the latest notice sent by the union government notifying the NLEM, the cost of several commonly used drugs, including antidiabetic drugs, antiviral drugs used for the treatment of HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis C, and intrauterine devices, namely condoms, will be reduced.

Manufacturers of the medicines included in the NLEM are required to sell their products at a price equal to or lower than the ceiling price. The calculation of the price is based on a simple average of the market prices of different brands of medicines having a market share of at least 1%.