Karnataka government has now gone on to augment the strength of its drugs control department by appointing and promoting officers to its enforcement and laboratory wings.

To begin with BT Khanapure has been promoted as Additional Drugs Controller. He was earlier Deputy Drugs Controller at Mysore.

The department has received the promotion orders of 24 drug inspectors to the post of assistant drugs controller. Further 11 junior scientific officers are promoted as scientific officers who will also be government analysts. In addition, four junior scientific officers are deputed to pursue M Pharma which allows them to garner higher knowledge and enhance their expertise in the field.

The state government is also contemplating to create a post of principal scientific officer to give a fillip to the drug testing activities in the drugs control department.

It has also made efforts to promote seven assistant drug controllers as deputy drugs controllers.  Ten drug inspectors and six junior scientific officers are shortly to be inducted into the department and are currently awaiting their joining orders.

Besides, some of the existing staff in the drugs control department have been promoted to various cadres of junior scientific officers, gazette assistant officers and office superintendents.

The current working strength of the drugs control department in Karnataka stands at 480 personnel.  Although sanctioned strength of the drug inspectors is 112, there are presently 34 functioning in the department. In an effort to fill up the vacancies, the drugs control department will communicate with the Public Service Commission for 74 candidates from the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), Raghurama Bhandary, drugs controller government of Karnataka told Pharmabiz.

The government has recognised the need for additional personnel and has  embarked on a recruitment drive. This would enable us to delegate the required personnel for the various assignments and developing the capacity to perform efficiently, he added.

Going by the transformations in the pharma and biotech industry, new regulations by the international regulatory authorities, frequent inspections by the global enforcement officials has created the need for additional personnel in the department, noted the Karnataka drugs controller

He went on state that recently the enforcement officers of Belgaum and Davangere have raided the clinics of four quack doctors and seized various allopathic drugs including steroids and injections worth Rs.2.5 lakh. Cases are registered against these practicing quacks under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act also. “This indicates the constant monitoring and need for more personnel to keep a close watch across drug production plants, pharmacy outlets and clinics to keep unethical practices at bay,” he said.