New Delhi: The government on Tuesday made it mandatory for stent makers to maintain production and supply of coronary stents by invoking an emergency clause under drug price control law citing reports of shortage in market.
"After due deliberations on the current situation and alternatives available with the government to resume normal supply of the coronary stents, it has been decided to invoke the powers of Section 3 (i) of DPCO, 2013," Department of Pharmaceuticals said in a letter to stent makers.
The department said there have been reports of shortage of coronary stents in the market/hospitals.
Last week, the government had slashed prices of stents by up to 85 percent by capping them at Rs 7,260 for bare metal ones and Rs 29,600 for the drug eluting variety.
In its letter to the manufacturers, the department said: "The companies manufacturing stents in India are directed to maintain production/import/supply of the stents and to submit a weekly report on stents produced and distributed. They will also submit a weekly production plan for the next week to NPPA and DCGI".
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) andthe Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) are also empowered to extend these directions to "any other producers of coronary stents in India during this three months period," it added.
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