The annual general conference of the Bihar state branch of the Indian Pharmacy Graduates’ Association (IPGA) wants the state government to initiate steps to fill up the existing vacancies of drug inspectors.

While briefing Pharmabiz about resolutions passed at the AGM, S. P. Singh, the general secretary of Bihar IPGA, said Bihar is the number one state in the country with highest number of drug inspectors. The total sanctioned posts of inspectors are 325, but the state is short of 125 inspectors.

Inadequacy of drug inspectors is badly affecting the enforcement activities of the state, he said. Currently, the total number of drug inspectors in the department is 200.

Participating the conference, the state drugs controller and the patron of Bihar IPGA, Ramesh Kumar, said he will forward the request of the association to the government and his office will do the needful to resolve the issue. The drugs controller said his department will give due importance to the demand of the association for its speedy implementation.

Another resolution passed by the association demanded the government to escalate the post of ‘pharmacist’ into the level of ‘drug inspector’ making it into gazetted post. Keeping in view of the huge increase in number of patients, the posts of pharmacists should be increased and pharmacists must be posted at all PHCs and sub centres.

The third resolution demanded that government should take steps to strengthen the government drug testing laboratory (DTL) and fill up the vacant post of government analyst and assistant analysts. The association wanted that the state required testing labs in all the divisional headquarters.

On academic side, the AGM of Bihar IPGA wanted the government to start M. Pharm and Pharm D courses at the Government Pharmacy Institute in Patna, and approval of the Pharmacy Council of India should be restored for the Department of Pharmacy at the Muzaffarpur Institute of Technology (MIT) in Muzaffarpur.

Bihar IPGA president, Binod Kumar presided over the meeting. State legislative assembly speaker, Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and drugs controller general of India, Dr. G.N.Singh were the chief guests at the function.