The Delhi Society for the Promotion of Rational Use of Drugs (DSPRUD) has taken up a voluntary initiative to gauge the extent of spurious drugs in the northern parts of the country. The society is to take up a pilot study of the market in Delhi soon, and is in the process of chalking out plans to better understand the spurious drug situation prevailing in other states like Haryana, MP and UP.
According to DSPRUD sources, the survey is to be conducted with the active support of all pharmacy associations. The modus operand of the survey has not been revealed, as it would negatively affect the accuracy of the results. The results are to be published by the end of the current year, it is learnt.
The result of the survey is expected to supplement the efforts of the government to understand the spurious drug situation in the country. The government had on January 27th announced the setting up of Mashelkar Committee to look into various issues related to drugs control administration including the matter of effectively tackling the problem of spurious drugs. The subcommittees formed later are also in the process of identifying the seriousness of the issue.
However, senior drug regulatory administration officials feel that the proposed survey of DSPRUD cannot bring in substantial results. According to them, the manufacture and sale of spurious drugs is mainly a clandestine activity indulged in by anti social persons and it is not easy to be detected, if not surveyed. They feel that necessary steps are being taken from time to time by enforcement authorities of the States to detect and unearth spurious/fake drugs in the inter-state commerce.
The officials said that the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has advised the state drugs controllers to constitute / reactivate the State Drug Advisory Committee in which various state and industry associations as well consumer associations would find representation.
Establishment of separate intelligence-cum-legal machinery with police assistance was also a proposal mooted by the central government. It has asked the states to provide training to selected officials of Drugs Control Administration in the modalities of intelligence work, prosecution etc. in respect of spurious/counterfeit drugs.
Ensure speedy analysis of drug samples by establishing own state level drug testing facilities, discouraging licenses for look-alike drug products, development of efficient communication facilitates and recall procedures, surveillance of suspected dealers, engaging experienced counsel for fighting spurious drug cases, cooperation of pharmaceutical industry and collection of survey samples under National Survey Quality Evaluation of Drugs (NSQED) Programme were all suggestions put up by the central authorities.
"Central Government has taken steps to augment the drugs testing facilities of State laboratories. Strengthening information system through computer networking is also under implementation," they said.