Tukaram Mundhe Expands Price Crackdown, Flags High Margins on Medical Consumables

Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has sought regulatory scrutiny of the prices of commonly used medical consumables after a state survey found substantial gaps between their procurement costs and printed maximum retail prices (MRPs). The Maharashtra FDA has approached the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) and the Department of Pharmaceuticals with its findings, seeking measures to make pricing of essential hospital consumables more transparent and reasonable.

The survey, conducted by the Maharashtra State Price Monitoring Resource Unit, covered hospitals in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. It examined several categories of products routinely used during inpatient treatment, including IV sets, syringes, nebulisers, oxygen masks and other consumables.

One of the biggest discrepancies identified involved an IV infusion set. According to the FDA's findings, the item was procured at about ₹11.05 but carried a printed MRP of ₹325, representing a reported markup of around 2,841 per cent. A syringe purchased for ₹6.75 had an MRP of ₹57.20, while a catheter costing about ₹29.41 carried an MRP of ₹310.

The FDA has argued that patients generally have limited ability to assess or compare the prices of such products while undergoing treatment. Unlike elective retail purchases, items such as IV sets, syringes and oxygen masks are often used as part of medical procedures and are not something patients can easily decline or shop around for during hospitalisation.

Mundhe highlighted the issue on social media, arguing that patients have little information about how the prices of medical consumables are determined before the products reach hospitals. The FDA commissioner has also pointed out that the state regulator does not have the authority to directly control hospital bills in cases where products are being charged within their declared MRP.

The Maharashtra FDA has therefore asked the central authorities to examine whether frequently used medical and surgical consumables can be brought under a stronger pricing framework, including possible trade-margin controls and other mechanisms used for essential medicines. The NPPA is now expected to examine the Maharashtra FDA's findings. The Centre has sought a report from the pricing authority, after which the Department of Pharmaceuticals will review the analysis and consider possible action.

The development could add to the broader debate over medical device pricing in India, particularly the difference between procurement costs, distributor margins and the final prices displayed to consumers. The issue is significant because even relatively inexpensive consumables can form part of hospital expenses when several items are used during a prolonged admission. Any future regulatory intervention would need to consider manufacturing, distribution and hospital-related costs while also ensuring that pricing remains transparent. The next step rests with the NPPA and the central government, which will determine whether the discrepancies identified by the Maharashtra FDA warrant changes to the existing pricing framework.

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