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The Hindu

States / The Hindu

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8,447 crore in medicine overcharging claims remain outstanding | Data Point

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) had demanded 10,029.8 crore from pharmaceutical companies for overcharging on medicines, including interest, as of March 31, 2026. Of this, only 1,582.4 crore had been recovered, leaving 8,447.4 crore outstanding. In this video, we examine the NPPAs recovery record, the financial years that saw the highest number of overcharging cases, and the status of outstanding claims. It also looks at how medicines account for nearly 20% of hospitalisation expenditure in rural areas and 15% in urban areas, with the actual share potentially higher when medicine costs are included in hospital packages. The analysis comes as the Supreme Court considers extending trade-margin restrictions beyond non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines.

26 Oct 2026 4:53 pm