New Delhi, July 27 -- To protect consumers from steep drug price increases, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has issued a directive to strictly enforce price control measures on non-scheduled drugs-those not subject to direct price caps.

This means manufacturers cannot raise the maximum retail price (MRP) of these non-scheduled medicines by more than 10% in a year, as per the Drugs Price Control Order (DPCO). These drugs account for about three-fourths of India's pharmaceutical market by volume.

NPPA has reiterated that companies must adhere strictly to paragraph 20 of the DPCO, 2013, which ensures that commonly used non-scheduled medicines and medical devices remain affordable for the public. Essential medicines are...