The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sought the Centre’s intervention to regulate prices of medical and surgical consumables used in hospitals after a survey found significant gaps between procurement costs and the maximum retail prices (MRPs) charged to patients.
The FDA has written to the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), seeking measures to cap prices of medical and surgical consumables. The move follows a survey conducted across around 20 hospitals in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune and Sambhaji Nagar in July.
FDA Survey Finds Wide Price Gaps In Hospital Consumables
The survey found substantial differences between the prices at which hospitals procured certain medical consumables and their printed MRPs.
According to the findings reported by Hindustan Times, an IV infusion set purchased for ₹11.05 carried an MRP of ₹325. This represents a price difference of about 2,841%.
Similarly, a syringe procured at ₹6.75 had a printed MRP of ₹57.20, while a catheter purchased for ₹29.41 carried an MRP of ₹310.
The FDA said similar gaps were observed in several other products used during routine medical procedures, including oxygen masks, transfusion sets and other surgical consumables.
Why The FDA Has Approached NPPA
The FDA’s intervention is focused on the pricing structure rather than allegations that hospitals were selling products above their printed MRP.
An FDA official told Hindustan Times that the department can take action when medicines or medical products are sold above the MRP or when quality-related violations are found. However, in the cases identified during the survey, the products were reportedly being sold within their printed MRPs.
The FDA has therefore asked the NPPA to examine whether medical and surgical consumables should have a more regulated pricing framework, similar to the price controls applicable to certain scheduled medicines.
The NPPA is responsible for regulating drug prices and ensuring the availability of medicines at affordable prices. It can also regulate prices of specified medical devices under existing provisions.
Tukaram Mundhe Raises Patient Affordability Concerns
Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has highlighted the difficulty patients face in evaluating the cost of consumables used during hospital treatment.
In a post on X, Mundhe said patients often cannot compare prices or choose alternatives while undergoing medical care. He argued that the gap between procurement costs and the prices ultimately charged deserves regulatory scrutiny.
The issue comes as medical expenses remain a major concern for patients and families. Unlike routine retail purchases, hospital patients may have little opportunity to question or compare the price of a syringe, IV set, catheter or other consumable during treatment.
The FDA’s findings have now been shared with the central pricing authorities for examination. Any change in the pricing framework would require consideration by the relevant authorities and could involve consultations with manufacturers and other stakeholders.
The proposed intervention could therefore lead to a broader review of how medical consumables are priced, particularly where large differences exist between procurement costs and declared MRPs.
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