DCGI directs Assam drug controller to enforce D n C Act on ARPA complaint

PSM News /

Chennai, July , 2017:

Following submission of a memorandum to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) by the Assam Registered Pharmacists Association (ARPA), the DCGI has asked the drugs controller of Assam to initiate steps for proper enforcement of drugs laws in the state.

 

ARPA has written to the DCGI that, in the state of Assam, the state drugs regulatory body is not enforcing the Drugs & Cosmetics Act and Rules ever since the country got independence in 1947.

 

 The association wanted immediate intervention of the national regulator to the state issues and requested him to direct the state regulator to take steps for getting the drugs laws implemented with immediate effect.

 

Dr GN Singh, the DCGI, in his letter to H C Deori, the drugs controller in-charge of Assam, said the state drugs control department should consider the issues raised by the pharmacists association seriously and steps should be taken to address them. He said the issues will be taken as an agenda for the next meeting of the Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC), which will be held shortly in his office in New Delhi.

 

Responding to queries from Pharmabiz, H C Deori, the DC in-charge,  said over telephone from Guwahati that he had received a letter from the DCGI and all the issues would be sorted out and addressed soon. He said the DC department is acting very strongly and strict implementation of drug laws is there in every part of the state.

 

According to Sofiur Rehmankhan, general secretary of ARPA, the state drugs control administration is inactive and no proper enforcement of the D&C Act and Rules in Assam. He further said the Pharmacy Act is also not implemented in the state. According to him 90 per cent of the medical stores are running without pharmacists. He wanted the national and state drug regulators to take legal steps with the pharmacy owners to appoint registered pharmacists in all the medical shops.

 

In the memorandum to the DCGI, ARPA wanted the national drug regulator to deliberate on launching a system in every pharmacy to establish mandatory presence of pharmacists by setting up finger punching attendance machine (biometric).  Further, the association wanted the state government to implement high tech facilities in the drugs control department in order to provide better and quick services to the pharma traders and manufacturers.