Pharma companies in the country should absorb the policy changes enforced by the drug administration, positively, for the betterment of industry, says R Narayanaswami, deputy drugs controller general India.

Referring to the ongoing Schedule M stipulations, he said it was wrong on the part of the industry to blindly oppose the changes intended for further modernization of the industry to face the challenges of future. In comparison to India, China has made marvelous strides in quality assurance and modernizing its pharmaceutical industry.

He noted that the 5000 odd drug manufacturers in China had imposed self-regulations in addition to the regulatory measures adopted by the drug control mechanism in that country to modernize its industry. As a result, the pharmaceutical firms in China were able to comply with the Current Drug Manufacturing Practices (CDMP) within two years of notification in 1998. If the Chinese manufacturers could do that, why not India, asked the official while delivering his keynote address at a seminar on ‘Current trends in Pharmaceutical Management’ organized by the Indian Drugs Manufacturers Association (IDMA) Tamil Nadu branch and Association of Pharmaceutical Analysts, Mumbai in Chennai.

He noted that the industry in the country has been growing at an average 15 per cent every year. Indian industry has about 20, 000 manufacturers, including 250 odd in the organized sector contributing 80 per cent of the industry turnover of Rs.20, 000 crore annually. While 4000 odd units make bulk drugs, the majority 16, 000 manufacturers are into formulation production. India exports about Rs.10, 000 crore worth drugs and imports Rs.2000 crore worth drugs, mainly bulk drugs.

Tamil Nadu has about 600 manufacturers, of which 200 are active in the field with an annual production worth over Rs.2000 crore. The state ranks fourth in production in the country and contributes 8 percent of the national drug production, said Narayanaswami.