According to the National Health Accounts (NHA) report for 2022-23 released by the Union health ministry, Indians spent over ₹1.6 lakh crore on medicines, marking a significant portion of the country's healthcare expenditure. Of this total, spending on prescribed medicines exceeded ₹1.3 lakh crore, while ₹26,670 crore was spent on over-the-counter medications. This expenditure on medicines constituted approximately 21% of India's total healthcare spending. The report also highlighted that hospital admissions accounted for the largest share of current health expenditure, totaling ₹2.9 lakh crore (37.6%), while outpatient treatments contributed ₹1.4 lakh crore (18.7%). Together, these three categories represent 77.3% of the current health expenditure. Despite a steady decline in out-of-pocket expenses as a share of total health spending over the past decade, the cost of medicines remains a significant financial burden for households, particularly for those managing chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, which necessitate ongoing treatment and medication purchases.