The ministry of chemicals and fertilizers has finally given the responsibility to frame the new pharmaceutical policy to a handful of officials and the managing directors of public sector drug companies. The core group constituted to look into the recommendations of the task force headed by Dr Pranob Sen includes managing directors of Hindustan Antibiotics Limited, Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Limited, Karnataka (KAPL), Rajasthan Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited, director, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) and a nominee of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA). The joint secretary and deputy secretary of the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals are the Chairman and Member Secretary respectively of the core group.

The formation of the core group has failed to enthuse the domestic pharmaceutical industry. The industry finds it to be a purely bureaucratic mechanism meant to prepare a policy beneficial to the ailing public sector drug units. "The constitution of the core group reflects the government's commitment towards the revival of drug PSUs. However, it is doubtful if such a team could come out with a policy that reflects the dynamic nature of the industry," Industry sources said.

Incidentally, the industry is not at all satisfied with the recommendations of the task force. As Pharmabiz has reported yesterday, the industry is opposing most of the recommendations of the Task Force, especially the move to bring all essential drugs under price control and de-branding.

The industry pointed out that the recommendations of the report is good enough to sabotage the growth Indian pharmaceutical sector could attain in the last two decades.