Four medical devices -- cardiac stents, drug eluting stents, condoms and intra uterine -- have been included in the national list of essential medicines and ceiling on their prices have been fixed, Union Minister said in Lok Sabha on 3rd December.

He said the maximum retail prices of 20 other medical devices are monitored by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) to ensure that no manufacturer increases the maximum retail price of a drug more than 10 per cent of the MRP during preceding 12 months. Out of the 24 notified or regulated medical devices listed as drugs by the Ministry of Health, four devices - cardiac stents, drug eluting stents, condoms and intra uterine - have been included in the national list of essential medicines and ceiling on prices have been fixed on them, he said during Question Hour.

The minister said the NPPA so far has issued 27 demand notices to 23 medical device companies for violation of rules for a total amount of Rs 185 crore (overcharge amount and interest) of which an amount of Rs 24.5 crore has been recovered from companies till November 15, 2019.