Industry seeks urgent govt intervention to revive & implement Upgradation of employees in pharma manufacturing units
Thursday, July 13, 2023
The pharmaceutical industry in the country has sought urgent government intervention to revive and implement the “Upgradation of skill sets of persons employed in pharma manufacturing units” issued by the former Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr G N Singh on August 28, 2016.
The DCGI office had made it compulsory for all employees in pharmaceutical manufacturing units to get a skill upgradation certificate from the government’s Life Sciences Skill Development Council (LSSDC) from January 1, 2018 onwards.
“Keeping in view the objective of bringing substantial improvement in the quality of pharmaceutical products, it has become imperative that all personnel employed in pharmaceutical manufacturing units shall undergo the certification programmes developed by LSSDC,” the notification said, adding “and with effect from January 1, 2018.”
The DCGI notification said: “All pharma manufacturing units in the country, are accordingly requested to take steps for ensuring that persons employed by them are duly trained and certified.”
The objective of the certification was to enhance the skills of the workforce engaged in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry and enable organizations to effectively meet quality standards. The government had earlier entrusted the work relating to development of qualification packs (National Occupational Standards) to the LSSDC to upgrade the skills of persons employed in the life sciences sector.
LSSDC evolved the following modes for certification like post fresh skilling and assessment of eligible youth; and post assessment under “Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)’ for existing workforce in the industry. Indian pharmaceutical products are facing scrutiny from the regulators due to product quality issues.
To increase the quality of all products manufactured by India’s USD 50 billion pharmaceutical industry, the DCGI had made it compulsory for all employees in pharma manufacturing facilities to get a skill certification.
No person shall be employed in any pharmaceuticals/biopharmaceutical manufacturing units unless he has obtained a formal diploma or degree in the relevant area, or has been certified by the LSSDC or equivalent organization in the area in which he has been deployed,” the notification stated
PHARMABIZ.com