The erstwhile Andhra Pradesh Drug Control administration (APDCA) has finally completed the bifurcation process and divided the body into Telangana and Andhra Drug control Administrations.
According to Drug Control Administration sources, the bifurcation process of drug control administration for two states is completed. Employees at the head quarters have been divided based on their nativity and place of appointment. “Provisional allocations of employees have been completed at the head offices in the capital city. As Hyderabad is a common capital for 10 years, the same drug controller campus is shared by both the states. The files and documents of companies have been separated with respect to the state of their location. Though a lot of work is still pending, it will be completed with in next couple of months,” said a senior officer at DCA.
The offices of director general for drug controller for Telangana and Andhra states are at present located in the same campus. “In fact there is not much to be divided at the headquarters except files and employees. Already there are drug control offices in each district both in Telangana and Andhra regions, so employees and drug inspectors in their respective districts will be retained as usual. Our major focus is to do service to the pharma and drug manufacturing firms in both regions. We are issuing product license as usual and at the same time enforcing the Drugs & Cosmetics Act as usual, but from two different offices” said the officer.
The present Andhra Pradesh drug control administration is headed by earlier director general B.L Meena, while the Telangana state DCA (TSDCA) office is headed by senior director appointed from Telangana region. The Andhra DCA will work under the AP health ministry headed by Kamineni Srinivas Rao, while the Telangana DCA will work under the Telangana state health minister and Deputy Chief Minister Dr. T. Rajaiah.
With the formation of two drug control administrations for both the states, now their focus is to ensure that the quality drugs are made available at affordable prices to the people. Pharmacies, Blood banks, and drug manufacturing companies are also divided accordingly and the respective DCAs will issue licences and enforce the Act.
In addition to checking of efficacy, quality, purity and strength and good manufacturing practices and good storage conditions, the Drugs Control Administration offices in both Telangana and Andhra is also entitled to regulate the manufacture, sale and distribution of drugs to ensure their quality and efficacy. The TSDCA and APDCA will have to basically focus on implementing Central legislations which include the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, Drugs (Prices Control) Order 1995, the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 and Rules made there under, the respective states Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Rules, 1986, (Licencing part), Cigarettes and other Tobacco products.
The organisational set up of various functionaries in APDCA and TSDCA are broadly classified into two wings, enforcement wing and laboratory wing. The enforcement wing enforces the provisions of above said enactments in the respective States and Laboratory Wing performs the test/analysis of various Drugs/Cosmetics samples sent for analysis and issues the Certificate.