Linking of Maharashtra FDA with the national dug control networking programme is likely to be delayed as the current licensing system in the state has been decentralized among seven revenue sectors. The WHO funded national drug control networking programme was planned with the pilot project involving drug control departments in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and West Bengal in the first phase.

The state FDA, which has the distinction of being a widely decentralized system for issuing licenses both for trade and manufacturing, will have to connect their regional offices with its headquarters first before linking it with the national network. However, the state FDA is currently waiting for the Centre's decision to go ahead with the internal networking linking all these divisions.

In Maharashtra FDA, there are seven revenue divisions with independent licensing authority vested with respective Joint Commissioners. The revenue divisions are Aurangabad, Amravati, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik, Pune and Thane. Each of these divisions have different district administrations under them for issuing trade licenses. These district administrations are headed by respective Assistant Commissioners.

Thus, total networking of the state administration itself would require a separate software, which is to be developed by the state FDA. Therefore, the state can be linked with the national networking only after the Maharashtra system is made compatible with the Central hub.

Though the software and hardware required for the national network is already been provided by the Centre as part of the WHO programme, the state authority is still not clear that whether the Centre would help them to set up the network within the State, thereby enabling the linkage of the entire system with the national network.

The central networking is aimed at linking the licensing details of each state. With this, the center will be able to monitor the entire data thereby minimizing the chances of states issuing licenses for new drugs or new fixed dose combinations. On the other hand, the software would also ensure that there is some privacy for the data entered by one state and the other. It would be accessible only through passwords. Even blood banks licensing would be part of the information network once the project is complete.

The Chennai based Accel-ICIM is the system provider for the nationwide computerization. The company has already started validating its software by making use of it to computerize the entire drug control operations in the state of Tamil Nadu at present. Once this exercise is over, the same can be replicated in other states except Maharashtra. All other states except Maharashtra have a single licensing authority like Tamil Nadu.