NPPA warns drug cos on non-registration with online database

With just 41 out of top 100 pharma firms responding to its direction to register for online database, drug price regulator NPPA has warned to take action if the rest of the companies did not comply with its order immediately.

National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) had asked all pharma firms to register themselves with Integrated Pharmaceutical Database Management System (IPDMS) in September last year. "Many pharma companies have yet not registered with IPDMS despite extension of time limit by NPPA. It has been observed that out of top 100 pharma companies, 59 companies have not registered with the system," NPPA said in a notice to pharma industry bodies on its website.

The list of 59 companies which have not registered include Zydus Cadila, Dr Reddys Labs, IPCA labs and Biocon, among others. Stating that it would be launching the system shortly, NPPA said: "You are therefore requested to impress among your member companies to register themselves with IPDMS immediately, failing which NPPA shall be constrained to take appropriate action..." In September last year, national drug pricing regulator NPPA had asked all pharmaceutical firms to register themselves under the IPDMS for online filing of returns for monitoring, fixing and revision of drug prices.

It had said that availability of reliable database is a necessary pre-requisite for carrying out the functions of price fixation and price revision in respect of scheduled drugs and price fixation in respect of new drugs.