₹11 IV Set Sold For ₹325, ₹6.75 Syringe For ₹57: Maharashtra FDA Flags Massive Mark-Ups in Medical Devices
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Essential medical devices used by hospitalised patients are being sold at massive mark-ups over their procurement costs, with some products retailing at nearly 29 times their purchase price, according to a market survey conducted by the Maharashtra State Price Monitoring Resource Unit (MSPMRU) under the state Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).
The survey found stark differences between procurement costs and printed maximum retail prices (MRPs) of commonly used inpatient medical devices, with officials flagging what they described as unchecked trade-level profiteering.
An IV set purchased for ₹11.05, for instance, was sold for ₹325, translating into a realised margin of 2,841%. A 10 ml syringe costing ₹6.75 was sold for ₹57.20, while an IV cannula bought for ₹22.50 was billed at ₹424.
A nebuliser mask costing ₹40 was also found to be sold for ₹715, a mark-up of 1,687%.
What The Maharashtra FDA Survey Found
The MSPMRU examined IV sets, syringes, nebuliser oxygen masks and other medical consumables sold through retail and trade markets.
Among the products surveyed was the Medifusion IV set manufactured by Mediplus Haryana. It had a purchase price of ₹11.05 against an MRP of ₹325, resulting in a realised margin of 2,841%. Another IV set, Lyvofusion, showed a margin of 2,091%.
A 10 ml syringe manufactured by Delhi-based Lifelong Meditech was purchased for ₹6.75 but sold for ₹57.20. Needles manufactured by Romson were also found to be sold at around three times their purchase price.
In the nebuliser and oxygen-mask category, an adult nebuliser mask kit manufactured by Vinjoh Healthcare had a listed price of ₹45 but was sold to patients for ₹652.
Among miscellaneous consumables, a catheter manufactured by Ribbel was sold for more than 10 times its procurement cost of ₹29.41.
FDA Commissioner Seeks Review Of Pricing Rules
Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe described the price escalation as "irrational and unjustified" and urged the Centre to review the pricing of commonly used hospital consumables.
In a letter to the Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Mundhe argued that the initial procurement cost already covers the manufacturer's expenses, including production, product development, marketing, distribution and profit margins.
He also pointed to the position of hospitalised patients, who require such consumables during active treatment and have little or no bargaining power over their purchase.
Demand To Bring Consumables Under DPCO
Mundhe has called for commonly used inpatient surgical consumables to be brought under the regulatory ambit of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO), 2013.
According to his letter, the absence of strict statutory price caps under the DPCO allows what he described as unchecked trade-level profiteering and places an additional financial burden on patients and their families.
He has sought administrative and regulatory intervention, including an inter-agency review of the pricing structure, possible measures to cap trade margins and stronger monitoring mechanisms.
