Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has urged the central government to review the pricing of commonly used medical consumables after a state survey found large differences between procurement prices and printed maximum retail prices (MRPs).
Mundhe highlighted the issue by asking why a 10 ml syringe costing ₹6.75 is sold with an MRP of ₹57.20, and why an IV (intravenous) set purchased for about ₹11 is priced at ₹325. The findings have renewed discussion around pricing transparency and regulation of essential medical devices used during hospital treatment.
₹11 IV Set With ₹325 MRP
According to the survey conducted by the Maharashtra State Price Monitoring Resource Unit (MSPMRU) under the state FDA, an IV infusion set with a trade price of ₹11.05 carried a printed MRP of ₹325. The reported difference amounted to a markup of about 2,841%.
The survey also identified significant gaps in the prices of other commonly used hospital products.
A 10 ml syringe procured for ₹6.75 carried an MRP of ₹57.20, while a catheter purchased for ₹29.41 had an MRP of ₹310. An IV cannula costing ₹22.50 was reported at ₹424, while a nebuliser mask costing around ₹40 was cited at ₹715.
Why Are Patients Concerned?
Mundhe has argued that hospitalised patients have limited ability to compare prices or choose alternatives while receiving treatment. Unlike ordinary consumer purchases, many medical consumables are essential during active treatment and cannot easily be postponed or negotiated.
He has described the gap between procurement prices and patient-facing prices as an issue of price transparency and patient protection. According to his comments, patients often do not know what hospitals or suppliers paid for the products being used during their treatment.
Importantly, the survey figures represent the products and price differences identified in the study; they do not establish that every hospital charges every patient the full printed MRP.
Mundhe Seeks Centre’s Intervention
Mundhe has recommended that the findings be reviewed by the Department of Pharmaceuticals and the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA). He has also called for clearer guidelines governing the permissible difference between trade procurement prices and declared MRPs.
One proposal is to consider bringing commonly used inpatient medical consumables under stronger price-control mechanisms, including consideration of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. Other suggestions include monitoring trade margins and establishing clearer pricing rules for essential medical devices.
What Could Change for Patients?
If regulators introduce new pricing or disclosure requirements, patients could potentially receive greater transparency about the cost of consumables appearing on hospital bills. Any actual changes, however, would depend on decisions by the central government and relevant regulatory authorities.
The Maharashtra FDA’s findings have put the spotlight on an often-overlooked component of hospital bills: the cost of syringes, IV sets, catheters and other essential medical supplies.
