Gujarat state board of the Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (IDMA) has initiated Quality Circle programme in Mehsana district to help small scale pharmaceutical units to upgrade themselves to comply with the revised Good Manufacturing Practices under Schedule M of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act announced by the Center last year.

According to Kamlesh Udani, chairman, IDMA Gujarat state board, the first Quality Circle would be launched in Mehsana on October 4, 2002. The QC programme, which was first mooted by the commissioner, Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration, Subodh P Adeshara as a recommendation to the industry, is planned to be spread to the other districts as well soon.

The Mehsana QC project, which would be launched by the Commissioner, FDCA Gujarat, will the first such project in the pharmaceutical area in the country. "We intend to further start this movement in other districts in next few months," said the chairman, IDMA GSB.

QC movement is a common programme for the small scale pharmaceutical companies with which the a group of five or more companies will get together and study the common problems and also share the information among each other to upgrade their facilities according to modern standards.