The pharma industry in India should give a thrust on preventive healthcare and emphasize on innovation in R&D for better public health and industrial growth, said Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

The industry should hold itself up to fulfil the needs and demands in the public healthcare with safe and effective medicine in affordable cost and research for new medicines in universities are essential for both the public healthcare sector and the industry, he added in the inaugural address of the 61st Indian Pharmaceutical Congress (IPC), commenced at Nirama University, Ahmedabad.

“I promise that in this state, we don’t have any problem or challenge in ensuring that there will be only standard quality drugs available in the market. We have also created better atmosphere in the state by controlling air and water pollution to prevent health problems among citizen. But the pharma industry and the scientists should work on innovative research for new products, otherwise there will be strong competition emerging from the holistic medicines,” said Modi.

He also pointed out that the industry should create its own value system considering that there activities has its effect on the life of common people. If the industry creates its own values and standards, no controlling measures from the government or the authority is required.

Jayanarayan Vyas, minister of health and family welfare, Gujarat, advised the industry to apply quality cold chain system and logistic measures to keep their product effectively through out he supply chain. “At present, though some efforts are taken for storage of drug, the cold chain gets broken in a number of places. The entire logistics system should be changed for the standard of the product,” he averred.

He also lambasted the industry for overpricing their branded drugs when the same product in generic name is cheaply available. The industry has to answer the questions on the logic behind fixing prices around 300 per cent more than the generic product of the same drug. Similarly, the industry should also bring in transparency in combination drugs to end the ongoing controversy so that the common man could rely on these drugs.

Dr S W Deshpande, chairman, Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association (IPCA) and secretary general, AIDCOC, presided over the inaugural function. Awards for excellent performances in pharmacy, drug regulation, research and various memorial awards were presented.

The 61st IPC, organised by the All India Drug Control Officers Confederation (AIDCOC), had more than 8500 delegates registered on the first day. The Pharmaceutical Exhibition (Pharma Expo), organized by Federation of Indian Charmber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) with around 283 stalls in an area of 12000 sqm was also inaugurated by the chief minister along with the IPC.