The Haryana drug control department has introduced online facilities for issuing licences.  With this,  the department will receive applications through online from traders for issuance of licences and the department will issue the same through online which will save a lot of time and effort for the traders.

For this purpose, a network of high tech facilities linking all the sub offices of the DCA has been established throughout the state. With the help of the high tech system, the department will receive applications through online from traders for issuance of licences and it will issue the same through the same way, said the state drugs controller Dr G L Singhal.

Dr Singhal said in the first step traders will be given facilities to apply through online and in the second phase, it will be extended to the manufacturers.  He hopes that this electronic application system will help the department to become more industry friendly, and the people of the industry can reduce their travel cost, better use of time and speed up operations.

According to sources, the department will soon adopt state-of-the-art technologies with webcam-connected computers in all the offices of Assistant Drug Controllers (ADCs) and the headquarters to establish a communication network with the support of modern software. In north India, Haryana is the first state where the drug control department is going high tech to facilitate the regulatory-industry relation all through the state, sources from the department said.

“The drug inspector will receive the application through online and after inspection he will forward the report to his senior’s office through online. After the office procedure, the licence will be issued through online”, Lalit Goel, senior drug control officer from Gurgaon said.

In the second phase, the directorate will start online communications with manufacturers who will not have to come to the head office for filing applications or knowing their status. They can send the applications to the customer cell which would instantly acknowledge the receipt of documents and the date of issuance will be intimated to the applicants. Requests for pending applications can be emailed directly to the HoD who will put the details of each file in the notice board every day in the afternoon.

In the third phase, facilities for video-conferencing will be established between the director and the assistant drug controllers in the zonal offices. The online facility will solve the problems of the industry people within one or two days that is now taking nearly a month time.  

In Haryana there are about 15000 chemist shops functioning in the state, sources said.

The inauguration of the new system was done by the state health secretary, Navraj Sandhu recently. Dr Ragesh Gupta, Commissioner FDA and Rajesh Bhaiya, member, pharmacy council of India were also present.