Prices of Branded Medicines

• Drug pricing in India is regulated by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) under the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, via the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 (DPCO, 2013) rooted in the National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Policy, 2012 (NPPP-2012).
• Pricing follows "essentiality + market-based" principles — ceiling prices are fixed only for formulations listed in Schedule-I of DPCO, which mirrors the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM).
• Relevant for UPSC: intersection of health policy, consumer welfare, IPR/industry competitiveness, and federal regulation (GS-II governance + GS-III economy).