Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) and the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) are jointly conducting a two-day workshop in Hyderabad from February 17 to 18. The workshop will focus on strengthening the relation between the two standards setting authorities so as to address common challenges and possibilities to resolve them, but mainly it aims at gaining mutual recognition.

Dr G N Singh, secretary cum scientific director, IPC informed that the collaboration aims at focusing on the Indian requirements of Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) and also to send in the message across the world that the IP has its own credibility and it should be accepted across the world as a book of standard of Indian drug.

He stressed, “Our objective is to emphasise that now it is time to accept the IP as the book of standard. We except USP which the book of standard of the US in India as it is and thus it will only be natural for the US authorities to accept the IP as the book of standard in their country as well for the Indian drugs.”

The workshop is part of an ongoing process between both the standard setting authorities that focuses on assuring the quality of medicines as a priority for public health need. Events like this is aimed at improving the performance of IP through harmonisation of procedures and data sharing etc.

Dr Singh informed that they will use this opportunity to discuss wide range of current scientific findings and regulatory trends that will help in improving the IP that will further help assure public health. However, he stressed that the main focus of the IPC will be to develop the credibility of the IP.

“It is our aim that gradually IP standards should also be acceptable at the global level along with the other recognised book of standards. This will not only lead to the rise of demand of drugs that are made in India but will also reduce the cost of testing, labelling etc of Indian medicines across the globe thus making it affordable as well,” Dr Singh said.

The Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) is the legally recognised book of standards for monitoring the quality of drugs and pharmaceuticals as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 at regular and shorter intervals. Recently the 6th edition of Indian Pharmacopoeia has been prepared by the Commission in accordance with the principles and designed plan decided by its Scientific Body and completed through the untiring efforts of its members and Secretariat over a period of about two years.