The drug regulatory administration in the Union territory of Pondicherry will be strengthened in a big way soon by increasing the staff strength of drug inspectors. The current staff strength of inspectors in the region is four, which will be increased to 12.

In addition to this, the government is considering to fill up the post of Drug Controller, which is lying vacant for the last 20 years, sources from the department told Pharmabiz. A state-of-the-art Quality Control Laboratory with qualified staff and the post of a government analyst are also in the developmental project of the government, sources said.

According to sources, after the amendment of Drugs and Cosmetics Act in 1989, the post of a controlling authority was not notified in the union territory, but the duty was fulfilled by either the commissioner or the additional commissioners. They said, the Director of Medical Services has sent proposal to the government to fill up the vacancy of Drug Controller, and all the projects are in the pipeline. However, the Department has a separate licensing authority.

On several occasions, including the Drugs Consultative Committee and its south zone meetings, the grievances of Pondicherry Drugs Control Department have come up for discussion. The scarcity of sufficient staff strength of drug inspectors has often delayed the issuance of licenses which in turn had affected adversely the wholesalers and manufacturers.

An officer in the health department said the requirement of drug inspectors is 15, but currently the UT has only four inspectors, out of which one is posted in Karakkal with charges of Yanam and Mahe too. Three posts are in Pondicherry, but one post is vacant as the inspector was promoted to some other position. According to sources, due to the shortage of drug inspectors, enforcement activities have become very difficult.

For the development of a Quality Control Laboratory, the department has sent one manufacturing chemist from the department to the Drug Testing Lab in Kolkota for training. Two years training at the DTL is mandatory for a chemist to become a government analyst. Since there is no well-equipped quality control lab, the department has been sending the products and samples to Karnataka for testing and analysis, sources said.

Along with this, the department will be modernized with latest technologies and computer facilities with internet connection, it is learnt.