The Ministry of Health, Medical and Family Welfare, Government of Andhra Pradesh is proposing to recruit about 50 Drug Inspectors on a contract basis with a salary of Rs. 6000 per month to meet the current shortage of such staff in the Drug Control Administration. Most of these recruitments will be from other departments of the state government.

Drugs Inspector' Association, Andhra Pradesh, an affiliate to the All India Drugs Control Officers Confederation (AIDCOC) has appealed the government to stop the plan.

Uday Bhaskar, president, AIDCOC told Pharmabiz.com that in a representation sent by the Association to the principal secretary of the ministry, it is made clear that such a step would hamper the functional efficiency and commitment of DCA in eradication of substandard and spurious drugs in the state.

The position of Drug Inspector is a statutory post to be appointed under Section 21 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 to enforce the legal provisions under the Act and to see that the offenders are properly brought under the clutches of law to enable the judicial courts to impose stringent punishments.

The post has always been filled by fresh graduates in pharmacy who are properly trained and motivated to use their long services for effective and efficient implementation of the provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, which laid a strong base for the protection of healthcare system in the state. The drugs inspectors used to be recruited in the past, either though Public Service Commission or by inducting the senior staff at Drugs Control laboratories as inspectors.

The people drawn on deputation or appointed on contract basis cannot pay full attention and strive for excellence in the new field, thereby, will result in great loss to the department, he added.

The Association, instead, has suggested the AP government to recruit fresh candidates as per the recommendations made by the House Committee on Manufacture and Sale of Substandard Drugs presented to IX AP Legislative Assembly on 15-7-1991, Justice Hathee Committee and Task Force Committee, T Seshagiri, president, Drugs Inspector's Association said.

It is surprising to note that there were no recruitments in the DCA of AP since 1992 and the department has been operating with about 50 drug inspectors. Whereas there was need for additional 150 inspectors to curb the growing menace of spurious drugs in the state.

The strength of drugs inspectors at DCA has never been proportional to the development of pharma industry in the state. On the contrary, West Bengal where pharma industry is not so active compared to AP, has more than 90 inspectors, Uday Baskar said. The idea of utilising user charges for recruiting drugs inspectors by the department sounds illogical, he added.

And after a long gap of 12 years, the state government has thought of recruiting drugs inspectors, but in a controversial manner. With the assembly elections ahead (in AP), the timing of the proposal is sure to raise doubts on the government's intention.

Mashelkar Committee in its report has stressed the need for recruiting new drugs inspectors to srengthen the drugs department. Hathi Committee recommended that there should be a drug inspector for every 100 medical shops and every 25 pharma units. It is time to realize that the department needs to look at recruiting fresh drugs inspectors on full-time basis rather than on contract or deputation.