The 11th annual convention of All India Drugs Control Officers Confederation (AIDCOC), which discussed the latest developments in regulatory, industry and research scenario of Indian pharmaceutical and healthcare sector, concluded in Mumbai.
In the two day convention, held on April 26 and 27, the regulatory officials paid heed to the suggestions of the industry experts, who elaborated the current trends and needs in various segments like Patent issues, stem cell research, packaging, quality management, clinical research and the regulatory harmonisation programmes.
Speaking as the chief guest in the inaugural session, Amitabh Chandra, principal secretary, Medical Education and Drugs department, Govt. of Maharashtra, asserted that the convention would help the drugs control officials to understand the overall situation in the nation and to know the needs of the industry better. He added that the confederation would be able to check counterfeit medicines, once the unity between the states is affirmed through the convention.
Dr B Suresh, president, Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), who was the guest of honour in the convention added that similar efforts from the confederation would motivate the drug regulatory officials to perform better in their jurisdiction with update information on various fields related to the job.
New therapies and innovations in pharmaceuticals like new molecules and its delivery besides disease management will bridge treatment gaps. The PCI will encourage pharmacists to equip themselves with the latest developments through continuing education programmes, added Suresh, who is also currently the president of Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA).
While delivering his views on the current regulatory hurdles in punishing the culprits in drug related issues, Sandeep Bishnoi, joint commissioner (Vigilance), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Maharashtra state, said that the Drugs and Cosmetics Act should have clear norms on the details of filing First Investigation Reports (FIR) against violation of the act. He added that the rules on action against substandard drugs should be made stringent to check prevalence of low quality products in the market.
Maharashtra FDA commissioner, Dhanraj Khamatkar also appreciated the confederation for coming up with the relevant theme - Better healthcare through innovations in pharmaceuticals - which is in lines with the development in the pharma field.
Dr B Suresh gave away the Best Drugs Inspectors' Award 2008 to drug inspectors from major states. The award for 2008 were bestowed on M Amrutha Rao, Andhra Pradesh, Dr Sachidanand Prasad, Bihar, B Lal, Government of NCT, Delhi, Rupam Patel, Gujarat, Anjani Kumar, Jharkhand, Ajayaraj D Shah, Karnataka, K T More, Maharashtra, Manoj Tongra, Rajasthan, Paul Mazumdar, Tripura and Dr Sambhu Nath Dey, West Bengal.