The 6th International Conference of the South Asian Chapter (SAC) of the American College of Clinical Pharmacology (ACCP) and the pre-conference workshop on WHO ATC DDD methodology and drug utilization research was held in Mumbai from 19-22 April 2013 in collaboration with the NIRRH ICMR Mumbai, WHO Oslo GS Medical College KEM Hospital. MUHS Nashik.
Although medicines and devices form 10-50% of healthcare expenditure and Indian pharma industry is 4th in the world in volume of production of medicines, the country have problems of irrational use, non availability of medicines and devices. The Indian pharma industry, academicians, students and researchers are bursting with ideas for new drug and drug delivery systems but these need to be channelized to developing new products. The syllabi of various medical, pharmacy and science courses provide good base for practice of their discipline, but not enough for research in to product development or for evaluating marketed products. This need has been recognized by Dr. VM Katoch, secretary DHR and DG ICMR and he promoted the development of clinical pharmacology in India. The need for international cooperation was recognized by the ACCP and hence the SAC chapter was started. It was recognized by the WHO and international collaborative centres for pharmacovigilance in Uppsala and for drug statistics methodology in Oslo started. The 6th International conference was culmination of the ICMR, ACCP, WHO and academic institutions coming together.
In 2012-2013, ICMR conducted five workshops on outcomes research, Pharmacovigilance PKPD, antibiotics stewardship and statistics The proceedings of the outcomes research workshop were released by Dr. VM Katoch, who said in the foreword for the proceeding that, “Outcomes research workshop, training participants from all over the country is important from the perspective of health care providers and regulators specially in the changing patients demography, disease patterns, drug development and access.”
The workshop on outcome research, idea to manuscript I2M, was practical hands on workshop to train, sensitize and strengthen researchers and institutions especially from geographically remote areas and from states deficient in health care research.
Lectures were delivered by experts like Ashok Vaidya, Arun Bhatt, Y. K. Gupta, N. A. Kshirsagar. Besides lectures, demonstrations and group work, the participants who represented various states from the far-flung Northeast to down south, worked on multi centric projects of great important such as malaria , tuberculosis, anti platelet drugs and diabetes, They worked under difficult circumstances without funding, The interim analysis of their studies was presented at the conference.
The hard copy of the ICMR book on regulatory requirements for drug development and clinical research was released by Dr. V. G. Somani, Dy. Drug Controller CDSCO. This multi authored book consisting of 27 chapter divided into 3 sections, conceived and edited by academicians, researchers and industry experts with unique perspective and experience in regulatory requirements.
WHO workshop on ATC DDD methodology and drug utilization research was conducted on 19th and 20th April 2013 by Hanne Strom, Solveig Sakshaug, Christian Berg of the WHO Drug Statistics Methodology Center in Oslo Norway. The need for ATC/DDD methodology and drug utilization research to evaluate prescription, product safety and efficiency and health care delivery was highlighted. Dr. NA Kshirsagar, (ICMR) National Chair Clinical Pharmacology and Ms. Swati Chaudhary, IMS heath discussed opportunities in India. It was attended by 75 participants selected out of many applicants.
The conference had over 130 free paper presentations. The souvenir and CD of the conference was released by Dr. GD Yadav, Vice Chancellor of Institute of Chemical Technology, the institute from where Reddy and Ambani graduated. He highlighted the need for basic researchers and clinical pharmacologist to come together for drug development.
International guest speakers Robin Ferner from UK, Hartmund Derendorf and Guenther Haucchaus from USA, Priya Bari from EMA highlighted various aspects of drug development, communicating and avoiding adverse reaction to drugs.
Dr. VM Katoch in his inaugural speech emphasized the need for younger generation to do active research and translate it into better healthcare delivery to the poorest man in the country. He lauded the efforts of the national chair in clinical pharmacology and the hard work done by the coordinators, mentors and participants of the ICMR workshops and appreciated specially in the multicentre research projects done by them. He recognized the need for developing a network of researchers so that data from India representing all sectors can be obtained to take policy decisions.
It is said that researcher discovers, technology develops, public health delivers and clinical pharmacology distinguishes reality from fantasy. Sometimes society prefers to believe in fantasy. Educating society, enhancing their understanding and enlisting their active participation and contribution to drug development, post marketing use and critical evaluation is important.