Bhubaneswar, July 15: In a move aimed at ensuring transparency and preventing overcharging, the Odisha government has decided to make it mandatory for all medicine stores across the state to display medicine price charts. The initiative follows the Centre's decision to fix the prices of 39 essential medicines.

Announcing the decision, Odisha Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling said all pharmacies in the state will display the price list issued by the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. The Centre has fixed the prices of 35 medicines used in the treatment of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and several other ailments, ensuring a uniform price across Odisha.

The Health Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Health Minister for the initiative, saying it would make essential medicines more affordable and accessible while protecting consumers from unfair pricing.

The decision has been welcomed by the Khordha Chemists and Druggists Association, which said the move would benefit consumers and bring greater transparency to medicine pricing. The association noted that while the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) already regulates the prices of scheduled medicines and prohibits retailers from charging above the notified rates, the display of price charts will help eliminate confusion over medicines with the same composition but varying prices.

According to the association, the measure will enable customers to compare prices more easily and ensure they receive medicines with identical compositions at uniform rates, reducing the chances of exploitation.

Consumers have also welcomed the decision, saying fixed prices for medicines used to treat common ailments such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease will prevent overcharging and make healthcare more affordable. They said the initiative would ensure greater transparency and fairness in the sale of medicines across the state.