Even as the fight for the control over Certificate of Pharmaceutical Products (CoPP) is going on in the court, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) is equipping itself for the smooth issuance of the CoPP by inducting more officials in the central machinery.

The CDSCO is planning to increase the number of drug inspectors across the country and is looking to depute at least 200 drug inspectors by the end of next year, sources said. As many as 63 persons have been recruited recently as drug inspectors and are joining the machinery in a bid to bolster the administration.

The move is also important as there were criticisms that the CDSCO was not adequately staffed to handle the extra burden of issuing the CoPP which was earlier done by the State Licensing Authorities. The DCGI office, which is in a legal wrangle over the CoPP issue, also wants to prove before the court that it has the sufficient strength for the task.

Though initially it had 32 posts for drug inspectors and only 22 were in position. The DCGI had filled up vacant posts last year itself. Then the health ministry had given fast track approval for another 63 and the UPSC had already selected the candidates for the posts. Sources said, they had been issued advice memos for joining the duty.

The ministry further had approved the creation of another 75 posts of drug inspectors. The selection process had already started for the same. The target of the DCGI is to make sure that at least 200 drug inspectors for the CDSCO by the end of 2010, sources said.

The state governments have also been asked to strengthen the infrastructure by inducting more number of inspectors and upgrading the facilities for testing samples. There are six central drug testing laboratories and another 72 labs in the States. However, that is also not considered to be sufficient for a better monitoring.

Meanwhile, according to the information received by the Health Ministry from the concerned State Drugs Control Organizations, as many as 183020 chemist shops were inspected by the drug inspectors across the country during the last year and 8418 licenses were suspended or cancelled.