After spearheading the fight to enforce a cut in excise duty from 16 per cent to 8 per cent on all pharmaceutical products, the SME Pharma Industries Confederation (SPIC) has mooted several steps including training and expertise by the Government-run institute to curb the menace of spurious drugs and absolve the name of the industry from the vicious racket.

SPIC, in its detailed memorandum to the expert committee of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) on small scale sector, wanted the institute to extend assistance to the ailing SME pharma sector by way of rebate in fees, expertise and spot guidance.

The meeting of the sub-committee on Monday was chaired by Science and Technology Department secretary T Ramasami and was attended by Joint Secretary in Chemicals Department G S Sandhu and NIPER director Dr P Ramarao, besides the members of the panel.

``The small and medium scale units are already battered by a slew of issues like excise duty, lack of finance and imposition of Schedule M. They are falsely accused by some vested interest groups of spreading spurious drugs,'' the SPIC members said, seeking to clear the smoke over it.

Setting up of model formulation and API units for SME, leasing of the same on short-term period, regular interaction between the SME and experts, holding of seminars and workshops, compulsory exposure to students in SME sector, help to file DMEs, induction of SME representatives in all statutory bodies, consultancy services by faculty, preparation of video clippings to help the sector and creation of guidance panels were among the suggestions put forward by the SPIC in this regard.

The SME pharmaceutical industry is constantly looking for ways to cut costs, speed drugs to market and develop innovative new products to improve patient care through NIPER, they said.

SIPC members, attempting to clear the air on spurious drugs, said the SME pharmaceutical industry has only contributed to keep the prices of medicine reasonable by taking on the multinationals and big pharma monopolies on its own merit.

``Manufacturing of spurious medicine is a clandestine activity prompted by high MRP and profit on medicines. SME as a whole should not be blamed for it,'' the SPIC members told the committee.

SME should be supported by the Government to horn the skills of personnel and given liberal financing schemes so that the small scale sector remain competitive and the stigma of spurious drugs is settled for ever, they urged.