The pharmaceutical industry associations of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have jointly formed Federation of Southern India Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (FSIPMA) to come under a common umbrella to give a more common flavour to their activities currently being carried out in their respective names.

The Kerala Drugs Manufacturers' Association (KDMA), that includes ayurvedic manufacturers; the North Kanara Drug Manufacturers' Association and the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Tamil Nadu (PMA) had jointly mooted the idea to have a common forum like this some time ago. However, due technical problems, it took long to materialize the same. According to sources, the PMA would act as the nodal point of the Federation.

The Federation will now be the frontal organisation that will put forth suggestions and grievances of the three associations. According to B. Sethuraman, Secretary, PMA, the move now will pave way for putting forward a common agenda for the manufacturers based in the three states. "What currently is happening is that the three associations have been representing their suggestions and grievances separately. While most of the problems are common there are some which are characteristic of the particular state. These characteristics are missed out on most occasions or are put forth by one association and the other two miss it out. The idea of forming the Federation to be the frontal organisation in representing the suggestions and grievances will help in eliminating missed points or suggestions and get benefits, if any, for all at the same time," Sethuraman added.

Talks had also been held with the Andhra Pradesh Drugs Manufacturers Association (APDMA), according to Sethuraman, but the association decided to stay away from the same. A factor that is said to be attributed to this action is the presence of the Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association (BDMA) in Hyderabad. Since most of the manufacturers present in Andhra Pradesh are bulk drug manufacturers they are members of the BDMA.

It is for the first time that associations representing the pharmaceutical manufacturers in the southern states have agreed to join hands to form a common federation though such an idea had been mooted many times in the past.

An interesting feature of the alliance is choosing PMA as the nodal agency for the Federation. This would mean that suggestions or grievances to be put forth by the Federation would be routed through PMA. The latter had been gaining in reputation over the last few years with some strings of success.

The PMA was the first association in the country to obtain an interim injunction against the hike in drug licence fee. This injunction is still in force in Tamil Nadu wherein manufacturers continue to pay the earlier prevailing licence fees as well as product inspection fees, before the hike was effected. The association also managed to obtain an injunction against the Tamil Nadu government order fixing minimum wages for medical representatives.

A formal meeting is to be held by the three associations before it is formally declared that the Federation has come into existence. While the three associations will function in the respective states free from the aegis of the Federation suggestions and grievances to be represented to the Union government or its departments would be routed through the PMA to be finally put up by the Federation.