The Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Officers Association (TNDCOA) has filed a writ petition in the Madras High Court seeking direction to the government of Tamil Nadu to initiate immediate steps for filling up the vacancies of drug control officers in the state.

The petitioner, M Dileep Kumar, the secretary of TNDCOA, who also fought for the CoPP case in October 2009, filed the petition last week praying for direction to fill up the vacancies as per Rule 49 of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act.

Members of the association said, although he is fighting for the state of Tamil Nadu, the court verdict may have the impact in all the states in the country. Thirty to forty per cent  vacancies are in every state.

According to sources from the Tami Nadu DCA, 24 posts of drug inspectors are lying vacant at present. The total number of sanctioned staff strength, including the director and his associates, of the department is 100. One post of director, one joint director, three deputy drug controllers, 14 assistant drug controllers, 8 senior drug inspectors and 73 drug inspectors. Out of these 73 posts of drug inspectors, 24 posts have not been filled up which means that only 49 drug inspectors are practically working in a state of more than 45,000 licensees.

Earlier in a letter to the health department, TNDCOA has requested the government to initiate immediate steps to fill up the vacancies. The letter said apart from sale shops (retail and whole sale), the state has 1100 allopathic drug manufacturing units, 120 cosmetic manufacturing units, 260 blood banks and 25 medical devices manufacturing units. In addition to this, a large number of stem cells and blood storage centres, clinical research institutions and bulk drug units which are also brought under the control of drugs control department. The department is unable to conduct proper checking and inspections in these places and retail shops due to lack of inspectors.

TNDCOA, which is affiliated to All India Drug Control Officers Confederation, has been raising a demand to implement the suggestions of Haathi Committee (formed in 1975) and Mashalkar Committee (formed in 2005). It has included these suggestions in its writ petition filed before the court now. According to the reports of the two committees, for every 200 pharmacies, one drug inspector should be appointed and a senior drug inspector for every 25 manufacturing units. The committee also says that there must be a separate and independent department headed by a pharmacy graduate.

In February this year, after a period of 23 years, the Tamil Nadu government appointed 23 drug inspectors. However, at present there are only 49 inspectors in the drug control department. The separate drugs control department was formed in 1982.