In order to educate the indenting agents regarding their role under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, the recently formed All India Pharma Indenting Agents Association will hold a one-day workshop on July 23 in Mumbai for its members. Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr Surinder Singh is scheduled to inaugurate the one-day event which will be held at FDA Bhawan in Mumbai.

Association president BR Sikri said that the workshop will be a good opportunity for the indenting agents in the country to know their role and responsibilities as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Senior drug authorities, who will be present in the workshop, will deliver details about how to fill up form D-1 and D-2 and also how to coordinate with the manufacturers. Senior CDSCO officials like assistant drug controller general of India and joint drug controller general of India are expected to attend the one-day workshop.

There has been inordinate delays in getting the registration and re-registration of import licenses from the DCGI office, mainly due to the procedural issues. It was to take these issues, that the indenting agents of the pharma industry in the country had recently come together to form an association. The number of intending agents who had come together to form the All India Pharma Indenting Agents Association is around 50.

The indenting agents are the mediators between the manufacturers and the importers. The DCGI issues Form 41 to the indenting agents and against the Form 41 the indenting agents issue Form 9 to the importers as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and then the importer applies to the DCGI for Form 10 which permits them to import the registered drugs. The validity of Form 41, Form 9 and Form 10 is for three years from the date of issuance.

So far, there was no proper platform for the indenting agents in the country to express their grievances with the drug authorities.