Medical supply price disparities in India

Regulatory authorities in India have identified significant pricing disparities between the procurement costs of medical supplies and their Maximum Retail Prices (MRP) in various healthcare settings.

In Maharashtra, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported massive markups on essential medical consumables. Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe highlighted that items such as IV infusion sets, syringes, and catheters were being sold at prices thousands of percent higher than their trade costs. Mundhe noted that patients are particularly vulnerable because these items are “non-elective and necessary for treatment,” leaving them with little ability to seek alternatives.

Following these findings, authorities in Uttar Pradesh conducted an examination of 214 pharmacies within private hospitals and medical colleges. The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) discovered that many medicines, including Polymyxin-B injections and treatments for liver disease and fungal infections, carried MRPs exceeding purchase costs by ten to fifty-four times. The FSDA suggested these gaps may facilitate “substantial trade margins and discounts throughout the supply chain.”