📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ginevrajocosa88
Health
Karnataka flags hospital drug price gap of up to 52.6 times, asks Centre to act
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 28 Sep 2026, 12:32 AM
👁 11
The Karnataka health department has highlighted that some medicines sold in hospitals cost up to 52.6 times their landing price, and it has written to the Union government seeking intervention.
Karnataka’s health ministry released a report indicating that the selling price of several drugs in state hospitals can be as high as 52.6 times the cost at which the medicines land in the supply chain. The data, compiled from hospital procurement records, shows a stark disparity between the landing price and the maximum retail price (MRP) charged to patients.
The inflated margins raise concerns about affordability for patients, especially in a state where out‑of‑pocket health spending is already high. Experts say such gaps can deter low‑income families from seeking timely treatment.
In response, the state government has formally approached the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, urging it to intervene and enforce stricter price‑control mechanisms. Officials hope that central guidelines will curb excessive mark‑ups and bring drug prices in line with actual procurement costs.
The Karnataka administration has also indicated that it will monitor hospital pricing practices more closely and consider legal action against entities that violate price regulations.
The inflated margins raise concerns about affordability for patients, especially in a state where out‑of‑pocket health spending is already high. Experts say such gaps can deter low‑income families from seeking timely treatment.
In response, the state government has formally approached the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, urging it to intervene and enforce stricter price‑control mechanisms. Officials hope that central guidelines will curb excessive mark‑ups and bring drug prices in line with actual procurement costs.
The Karnataka administration has also indicated that it will monitor hospital pricing practices more closely and consider legal action against entities that violate price regulations.