Pharma Sahi Daam App: The government has reduced the prices of 137 cancer medicines, but are medical stores selling them at the right rates? How to check the actual price on this government app before buying.
Pharma Sahi Daam App: Treating a serious illness like cancer is a huge financial challenge for any average family. The largest expenditure during treatment is on expensive medications and injections. To provide relief to patients and their families from these enormous expenses, the Central Government and the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) have taken a significant step. The government has set trade margin limits on 137 essential drugs used in cancer treatment.
This has led to a significant price reduction of up to 96.45 percent for these medicines. However, it's often seen that even after price reductions, people often end up paying higher prices at medical stores due to lack of information. To protect the public from fraud and provide them with accurate drug prices, the government has introduced an app called Pharma Sahi Daam. Learn how you can check the new drug prices in just 30 seconds using this app.
Check the new price of medicine in just 30 seconds
If you're going to a medical store to buy medicine for cancer or any other illness, be sure to download the Pharma Sahi Daam app on your smartphone before making a payment. You can also check the rates by visiting the NPPA's official website, nppa.gov.in. After opening the app or website, you'll see a separate tab on the home screen labeled TMR Cancer Drugs. Clicking on this tab will bring up a search bar.
Here, you simply type in the name or brand name of the medicine your doctor prescribed. Within 30 seconds, the new and revised maximum retail price (MRP) of that medicine will appear on your screen. This government app allows you to easily find the correct prices of not only cancer medicines but also other essential everyday medicines.
Rules are applicable to every medical store.
The NPPA has clarified that the reduced prices for these 137 cancer drugs have been strictly enforced at every medical store, large or small, and at private hospital pharmacies across the country. The government has fixed the trade margin on these drugs at 30 percent, so no chemist or hospital pharmacy can charge you even a single rupee more than the new price displayed on the app. You must pay only the new rate displayed on the app.
Don't forget to get a proper bill
When purchasing medication, you must exercise extreme caution. Whenever you purchase medication from a medical store, always obtain a valid, GST-compliant bill from the store. When receiving the bill, ensure that the name of the medication, the correct batch number, and the price charged are clearly stated. This valid bill will serve as your most important legal evidence against any misconduct by the store owner.
Complain about shopkeepers who charge more through the app itself.
If a medical store or hospital pharmacy refuses to provide you with a medicine at the new price or charges more than the agreed rate, you don't need to argue. The government has also made arrangements to lodge a complaint directly within the Pharma Sahi Daam app. When you search for a medicine on the app and open its details page, you'll find the complaint option at the bottom of the page.
All you need to do is tap on that option, fill in the required information, and submit your complaint. Keep in mind that when filing an online complaint, it's crucial to have a valid prescription bill, which is uploaded as proof. People can also report overcharging by calling the NPPA's toll-free helpline number, 1800-111-255.
