The Drug Consultative Committee (DCC) met last week has appointed six new expert sub committees to review and suggest amendments in Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1945 in various regulatory issues related to spurious drugs, medical devices and drugs testing norms.

The one-day DCC meeting held on December 10 has appointed the sub committees to submit report on various new regulations including spurious drugs and medical devices standards to support the amendments with new rules, informed a committee member. The sub committees are expected to submit the reports within a month.

"The sub committees are assigned to review the rules in the Act in the context of the newly amended Drugs and Cosmetics (Amendment) Bill 2006. The committees will submit the reports within a short time to the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), who will then forward the suggestions to the decision making bodies in the health ministry for appropriate action," said the member. However, he refused to divulge more on the decisions as the minutes of the meeting is yet to be finalised.

Even though the bill has been passed by the two houses of parliament, the revision of laws are to be placed to ensure effective implementation of the new regulatory decisions. The sub committees are appointed to put forward specific rule amendments to support the enactment of the regulations in the bill, averred another DCC member.

However, the reports may take some time to be made into rules. The suggestions are to be approved by the Drugs Technical Advisory Board and then prepared as a draft amendment bill. The approval from the higher authorities to enact the changes in rules will also consume a long time, they added.