In an effort to avoid confusion in communication between the drug regulators and the customs officials on export matters, the Pharmaceutical Exports Promotion Council (Pharmexcil) has suggested that the correspondence between these offices should be channeled through the office of the Drug Controller General of India.

The council's recommendation comes in the backdrop of a recent incident where the pharma exporters faced delay in getting clearance from the JNPT Port, Nava Sheva, Navi Mumbai.

The consignments from the port were held up by the customs officials following a communication from the Maharashtra state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking thorough scrutiny of a list of 40 intermediates and bulk drugs prior to clearance, said council members.

The request of the state FDA has created some confusion in the customs office on clearing of consignments of formulation drugs, though the communication was only on bulk drugs and intermediates, said industry sources. The exporters, on apprehension of losing their overseas clients due to delay in meeting consignment orders, approached the Pharmexcil for a remedy.

However, following a letter from the Pharmexcil to the commissioner of customs (Exports), Nava Sheva Port, Navi Mumbai, pointing out the issue, the customs office has responded to clear all the formulations export consignments without much delay, said a Pharmexcil source.

Meanwhile, the industry has raised concerns on the procedure in which a state drug control office has issued instruction to the customs office while the process of communicating with the Customs and Port offices remains with the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

Paying heed to the concerns of the industry, the Pharmexcil has suggested that the procedures would be simplified if the communications between the drug regulators and the customs officials are channeled through a single agency.

Earlier, in the letter to the commissioner of customs, Nava Sheva Port, the council remarked that the Indian Pharma companies have already been faced with declining exports mainly due to the strengthening of the Indian Rupee against the US Dollar and also because of the global recession and such issues would add up to the woes of the Indian pharma exports industry.