The All India Drug Control Officers' Confederation is pressing for a national body merging all the state drug administrations for evolving a uniform system of licensing for drug manufacturing and marketing in the country. The Confederation has already opposed the Mashelkar Committee recommendation for a centralized drug licensing system by transferring state licensing powers to the Central Drug Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO).

The Confederation is of the view that to bring uniformity in licensing procedures of drugs and pharmaceuticals, a single agency such as National Drug Authority (NDA) or Central Drug Authority (CDA) can be constituted by discontinuing the CDSCO and state level drug control departments. Such an agency can absorb the existing staff and expertise as well as the infrastructure of both central and state drug control departments.

While talking to Pharmabiz, AIDCOC secretary general, S W Deshpande, said that the Confederation would support a proposal to create an independent agency to deal with the whole regulatory services in connection with drug approval, manufacturing, marketing and trade, imports, clinical trials etc.

"Such an agency, which could be constituted by merging the expertise and personnel of the existing central and state departments, can eliminate the prevailing chaotic situation in the drug licensing area and it can also bring in more clarity and accountability," he added.

"Instead, if the government considering the transfer of licensing powers to the CDSCO by centralizing the licensing procedures, it would create more chaos than transparency and accountability as it has been happening in any other central departments. With the current infrastructure and expertise available with the central authority, the centralized licensing is absolutely not a practical suggestion," Deshpande added.