The Indian Pharmacological Society (IPS) may approach the government with a resolution to include its representatives in the drug regulatory committees. A panel discussion of pharmacologists on their changing role in modern medicine, conducted as the part of 38th annual conference of IPS has decided to move up with the resolution.

The panel evaluated that the pharmacologists are avoided from the drug regulatory committees, and are not given due importance. The government has to accept the importance of pharmacology in such committees and should involve representatives from the organisation in the activities of the regulatory committees, according to the experts who participated in the discussion.

The panel suggested that a drug information centre should be set up in every hospital, for the usage of physicians, medical students and common people. The experts commented that the complete information on various drugs, costs and its results are not easily available to a pharmacologist, at present. Though some information centres under independent organisations are active, people including the pharmacologists usually ignore such detailed drug information due to lack of awareness, according to some experts in the panel.

Need for an integrated body, to supervise the introduction of various new products in market and to inform the pharmacologists about these developments, with the participation of pharmaceutical industry has also been raised and discussed by the panel. Dr. A. Rukmani, professor of pharmacology, SRM Medical College, Chennai; Dr. Rema Menon, professor and head of department of pharmacology, Amala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thrissur; Dr. Mohanasundaram, deputy director, Directorate of Medical Education, Tamil Nadu; A.R. Singh, deputy drug controller, Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), south zone; Dr. K. Chinnasamy, president, Tamil Nadu Pharmaceutical Sciences Welfare Trust; Dr. Prakash. V. Diwan, deputy director, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad; Dr. R. Ezhilarasan, vice president, Medico Marketing, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd.; Dr. S. Shivakumar, professor of Medicine, Stanley Medical College, Chennai etc. participated in the panel discussion.

The three-day annual conference of IPS on 'The changing role of pharmacologists in modern medicine' also focuses on the developments and research in herbal drug segment. The conference includes different types of deliberations such as orations, seminars, quiz programmes and free scientific presentations by junior pharmacologists. A symposium is being organised independently for cardiovascular complication concentrate on life style modification and the disease.