Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) Commission, proposed by the Central Drug Standard and Control Organization (CDSCO), is likely to have an independent status to compile and revise additional drug standards, production of revised editions and also marketing the IP through various viable channels.

With the Pharmacopoeia Commission getting operational next year, it is anticipated that the process of compilation and the analysis of drug standard specifications, additional monographs and test standards can be expedited, thereby to bring out the IP revisions and addendums more frequently. It is expected that with the proposed infrastructure, the IP can be updated and revised in every two years. The IP Commission of a permanent nature was mooted with an intention to make updates and revisions of IP an independent and regular process.

Currently, the IP has been revised in ten years by an ad hoc committee appointed by the DCGI from time to time and the printing and production is undertaken by various other CDSCO departments and government press. There are no aggressive marketing attempts for IP editions at present.

However, the proposed Commission will be constituted on a permanent basis, which would comprise government appointed officials and nominees and representatives from pharmaceutical industry as well as scientific and pharmacy profession. According to Ashwini Kumar, Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), the independent IP Commission would have powers to decide the frequency of revised editions, the production and marketing.

It may be mentioned that following the Economic Finance Commission (EFC) constrained the financial plan for setting up the independent IP Committee and also upgradation of the Central Indian Pharmacopoeial Laboratory (CIPL), the CDSCO and the Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) have jointly persuaded for adequate finance for the same with their parent ministry in view of the significance and urgency of upgrading CIPL and having autonomous power to the IP Committee.

As per the clearance of EFC with limited finance plan, the new IP Committee had been proposed as a body within the department Drug Control General of India (DCGI) with no significant changes in the existing infrastructure and capacity building. Despite an early clearance from Planning Commission for the proposal for the IP Commission, the EFC had kept the file pending for quite some time. However, the Committee has now cleared it with a World Bank support, which was sought by the government for the upgradation of drug control offices all across the country. The government has now earmarked Rs two crore for the capacity building and upgradation of CIPL and fresh recruitments in the IP Committee.