Hospitals and laboratories in Karnataka will be required to display the purchase and selling prices of medicines from November 1, according to an announcement by the state’s Health and Family Welfare Minister. The move aims to improve transparency in medical billing and help patients understand the difference between the prices at which healthcare facilities procure medicines and sell them to patients. The announcement also states that medicine purchase prices and maximum retail prices (MRPs) should be clearly reflected in bills.

Making this information accessible is intended to help patients identify discrepancies in billing and understand the costs associated with their treatment. The minister said the lack of transparency in medicine pricing had raised concerns about patients being charged excessive amounts, particularly during expensive treatments such as cancer care. Hospitals…