Essential medicines -including pain killers, anti-infectives, cardiac drugs and antibiotics are slated to go up .The government is all set to allow the drug companies to increase the prices of 384 molecules which correspond to 900 formulations across 27 therapies, by 12% from April, 2023. This is the second time in a row when the increase is more that allowed for non-scheduled drugs. The 384 molecules , part of essential medicines , are also known as scheduled drugs.

The whooping increase is being made in the pretext of change in the Wholesale Price Index . This is body blow to the people already burdened with the inflation and the resultant price rise of the essential commodities.