The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) on March 13 said that they have not received any reference regarding the shortage of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and formulations.

It also said that the Indian Drugs Manufacturers Association (IDMA) has assured that its members have enough stocks. " NPPA has also informed that they have not received any reference from pharma associations regarding the steep increase in the price of medicines due to outbreak of COVID-19 in China," an official statement said. The NPPA has also asked all the states and Union Territories (UTs) to monitor the production and availability of APIs and their formulations to prevent black marketing and hoarding and to ensure price compliance as per the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO 2013) under its intimation.

The pharmaceutical pricing authority is monitoring the situation regularly to ensure that the ceiling prices of essential medicines are not breached. The statement said that the Department of Pharmaceuticals has constituted a committee to address the issue of drug security in the country in the context of novel coronavirus outbreak in China.

"Based on the recommendations of the committee, the department has issued necessary instructions to NPPA and Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to ensure an adequate supply of APIs and formulations at affordable prices in the market and to prevent black-marketing, illegal hoarding and creating artificial shortages in the country," it added. "In this regard, the Department of Pharmaceuticals has written to Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to restrict exports of 13 API and formulations made using these APIs," the statement further said.