The drugs controller general of India (DCGI) Dr G N Singh said the national regulatory body is committed to detect any kind of spurious/ substandard drugs in the circulation in the country. For this, strict and uniform implementation of the Drugs and Cosmetics (D&C) Act will be carried out with the help of state drug control authorities.

In the near future India will become a country without substandard/ spurious drugs. With this in view, the government will spend Rs.6000 crore for various enforcement programs in the 12th five year plan. The union government is committed to upkeep the quality of the drugs produced and sold in the country for which the act has to be implemented in a uniform manner, he told Pharmabiz on the sidelines of the 64th IPC in Chennai.

“India has now become a global supplier of medicines and soon it will become a global hub for pharmaceutical products. One tablet of every three used in other parts of the world is from India. So the national regulatory body is concerned about the quality of the drugs manufactured here. Proper implementation of the act is therefore needed. India is supplying medicines to 220 countries in the world,” he said.

When asked whether there will be the involvement of state drug control authorities for implementing his innovative schemes, Dr Singh said only with the involvement of state authorities a uniform implementation of the Act can be carried out. The state regulatory departments should be funded for undertaking the central enforcement schemes. There will be special provisions in the forthcoming budget, he added.

Earlier while inaugurating the scientific seminar at the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress (IPC) at SRM university, the DCGI said a lot of changes are taking place in all spheres of the pharma industry in India. Government is ready to do all regulatory commitments to take the pharma industry to the higher level. But the quality side is more important. He expressed the hope that India would become a global exporter of all generics soon.

“Without an effective watch we cannot achieve our goal and maintain the quality. Quality is our commitment to the world. The D&C Act is the only tool before us,” the DCGI said reiterating his uncompromising plan of strict enforcement.

In the interview with Pharmabiz, Dr Singh praised the initiatives taken by the drugs control department of Tamil Nadu in implementing the Act. In his complements to the state director of drugs control G Selvaraju, Dr Singh appreciated the way the regulatory officials are acting in the state.