With a view to give a right direction to its functioning ahead and to frame new schemes and policies to be included in the 11th Five Year Plan, the Pharmaceutical Department has constituted a consultative committee to advise it after wider consultations with different departments, scientific bodies and industry associations.

Headed by joint secretary in the department, the 19-member panel has already launched a series of consultations to frame policies and schemes, especially in the research and development area. Based on the report of the working group, some new schemes will be included under the current Plan, sources said.

With many of its working areas overlapping with other agencies and departments, the newly-created department wants to set a clear agenda of functions on a long-term basis through due consultations with the industry and other bodies. It will help to overhaul the working for the better and help the pharma industry more effectively. The long term goal is also to bring all matters related to pharma industry, now monitored by different ministries, under one head, it is learnt.

"The ultimate goal of Department of Pharmaceuticals is to see that the pharma industry establishes itself in the global competitive market as a dependable source of quality medicines meeting the stringent standards laid down by the regulators of developed world. At the same time the Department has to ensure availability and affordability of medicines to the masses in the country," the concept paper prepared in this regard said.

The Department is planning to evolve a new scheme in a mission mode for promoting R&D in drugs and pharmaceuticals through overcoming the weaknesses of existing DPRP of DST. This could have components of fiscal incentives/credit facilitation/ interest subsidy etc. It will create synergy with government departments like CSIR, ICMR, DBT etc. so that the results of research work in their establishments could be utilised.

For this to happen, it would be necessary to create an institutional mechanism, like board or committee under the department with members from such bodies for promotion of translational research. The results emanating from these establishments will be utilised towards commercialization of these technologies for development of new drugs or formulations, the department suggested.

The plans also include forging PPP models with Industry or international organisations/institutions so as to push the R&D agenda. This would involve better utilization of facilities of NIPER for carrying out and promoting intra-mural extra-mural research work. The department also wants to set up incubation centers for start-up and new units under DPRP run by the DST. In addition to setting up new incubation centres, resources of NIPERs can be upgraded for meeting incubation needs of SMEs.

The working group has representatives from DBT, DST, Ayush Department, Planning Commission, DCGI, Pharmexcil, RDPL, IDMA, SPIC, BDMA, OPPI, CIPI, chemicals and pharma departments and IPA.