CONCERTED
EFFORTS BY STATE GOVERNMENT ESSENTIAL TO CHECK THE MENACE OF SPURIOUS
DRUGS – SHATRUGHAN SINHA
The Government is considering stricter
norms for ensuring safe and quality drugs to every citizen. The
aim is to move towards zero error concepts in manufacture and
quality control of drug and other health care products. This was
stated by the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare,
Shri Shatrughan Sinha, here yesterday in a meeting which was convened
to discuss the problem of spurious drugs in the country. The meeting
was attended by the Health Ministers of States which either have
a large drug-manufacturing base or have a large user base. Health
Ministers of Bihar, U.P. Rajasthan, Delhi and officials from Haryana,
Punjab, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal participated
in the meeting.
Addressing the participants, the Minister said
that Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Rules made there under are
felt to be generally adequate to tackle the problems of spurious
drug. However, the status of enforcement is, reported to be non-uniform
in the country even after more than 50 years of enactment of the
Act. Laxity on the part of any State or in any specific area in
a State could negate the good work being done by drug regulatory
agencies elsewhere. In India, a drug manufactured in one State
can freely move to any corner of the country. It is, therefore,
all the more important for State Governments to come up to their
obligations under the law to ensure that there is no laxity on
their part which may be taken advantage of by the criminal elements
to either manufacture or dump spurious drugs.
The Minister told the participants that the Department
of Health has taken steps to streamline various provisions under
the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules. A major project for computerisation
and countrywide network of all Drug Control Offices and Laboratories
is already underway. A Capacity Building Project for augmenting
drug testing facilities in the country is under process and is
being implemented with World Bank assistance.
Shri Sinha emphasised that among the developing
countries India has acquired the strength as a dependable source
for supply of most cost effective quality pharmaceuticals. India
is the fourth largest producer of medicines by volume. Therefore,
even a minor episode of spurious drug damages the overall image
of quality of Indian Drugs and the credibility of the regulatory
system. Therefore, in the Indian context it is not limited to
a public health issue only.
Speaking on the occasion, the Drug Controller
General of India, Mr. Ashwini Kumar stated that situation in India
is still more complex and challenging due to the multiplicity
in drug supply chain, large number of manufactures and salers
outlets, infrastructural constraints, non-uniformity of enforcement.
The activity borders more on law and order problem. It, therefore,
needs a separate kind of focus and preparedness to check it. It
is realized that the elements involved in such activities take
advantage of modern printing and packaging technologies, quick
means of communication and exploit greed or gullibility of some
person in the supply chain of drugs and the weakness of enforcement
system in some areas of country to push such illegal products.
The Minister also inaugurated
a website prepared by Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation.
The address of the website is www.cdsco.nic.in.
