Maharashtra FDA Flags Huge Markups on Hospital Consumables

A government official in Maharashtra found that some hospital supplies may have much higher printed prices than the prices hospitals pay.

For example, an IV set bought for Rs 11.05 had an MRP of Rs 325.

A syringe and catheter also had much higher MRPs than their purchase prices.

Patients usually cannot shop around or compare prices while receiving urgent medical care.

Tukaram Mundhe said this makes it difficult for patients to know whether they are paying a fair amount.

He asked national authorities to examine the findings.

He also suggested rules for how large the difference between purchase prices and MRPs should be.

Some medical products already have price controls, but many consumables do not have one common price ceiling.

A hospital industry representative said regulation should improve transparency without hurting hospitals’ ability to fund staff, equipment, and patient safety.