Govt sets up committee to prepare National Drugs Database
New Delhi: In an efforts to ensure the quality and efficacy of medications and uniform administration of drug regulation, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, has formed a seven-member panel to produce a thorough "National Drugs Database" of drug formulations manufactured and marketed in the country.
Regarding the aforementioned, India's drug controller general, VG Somani has released an office memorandum dated October 27 ,titled "Constitution of a Committee for the Development of the National Drugs Database", highlighting the importance of a comprehensive database of drug formulations manufactured and marketed in the country.
It further added that the National Drugs Database is crucial for not only empowering consumers but also for improving the monitoring mechanism for quality of drugs in circulation, across the country and uniform administration of regulatory system, etc.
In order to have such a comprehensive "National Drugs Database", a committee of seven members has been constituted. The committee will be led by India's joint pharmaceutical controller, AK Pradhan.
The panel is comprising following members:
i. Dr. HG Koshia, Commissioner, Food and Drugs Control Administration, Gujarat;
ii. AK Pradhan, Joint Drugs Controller, CDSCO;
iii. Dr. Pooja Gupta, Additional Professor, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi;
iv. Dr. Jerian Jose, Scientist D, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi;
v. Dr. Gahane, Joint Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, Maharashtra;
vi. BT Khanapure, State Drugs Controller, Karnataka;
vii. Navneet Marwaha, State Drugs Controller, Himachal Pradesh.
Furthermore, the office memorandum added that the committee will examine the existing database available with various Authorities like States/U.T. Drug Control Departments, Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), various manufacturer/ marketers/ importers.
In addition to this, panel's task will be to prepare recommendations and generate a comprehensive database of drug formulations manufactured and marketed in the country, providing detailed information on a drug, its dosage form, strength, and details of the manufacturer, marketer, or importer of the drug.
"The Committee may co-opt any other expert, as deemed necessary." the memorandum added.
The Medical Dialogues Team had reported earlier that following the World Health Organization (WHO) alert for four India-made cough and cold syrups used for paediatric groups, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) had taken up an urgent investigation over the tragic incident of 66 children dying in the Gambia due to Indian cough syrups.
Now, in continuation, the government has decided to set up a comprehensive database of drug formulations manufactured and marketed in India in order to make sure that medicines sold to people in India are secure, efficient, and meet established quality standards.
Regarding the submission, the office memorandum stated that the committee is supposed to submit its recommendation including the "National Drugs Database" of the drug formulations in three months.
