Health ministry constitutes 7-member panel to prepare National Drugs Database

Mumbai, November 1, 2022:

The Union ministry of health and family welfare has constituted a seven-member panel to prepare a comprehensive ‘National Drugs Database’ of drug formulations manufactured and marketed in the country. This will enhance regulatory oversight of medical products in the country to ensure their quality and bring uniformity to drug regulatory mechanisms across the country. 

According to a notification issued by the ministry on October 27, 2022, a committee has been set up to prepare a comprehensive 'National Drugs Database’. The committee comprises Dr HG Koshia, Commissioner, Food and Drugs Control Administration, Gujarat; AK Pradhan, Joint Drugs Controller, CDSCO; Dr Pooja Gupta, Additional Professor, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi; Dr Jerian Jose, Scientist D, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi; DR Gahane, Joint Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, Maharashtra; BT Khanapure, State Drugs Controller, Karnataka; NavneetMarwaha, State Drugs Controller, Himachal Pradesh. Pradhan will be convener of the committee.

The committee will examine the existing database available with various authorities like state/Union territory drug control departments, Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, various manufacturers, marketers, importers.
 
Further, the committee will give recommendations and come out with a comprehensive "National Drugs Database" of drug formulations produced and marketed in the country. The database will provide detailed information on the drug, its dosage form, strength, details of manufacturer, marketer, importer etc. which is crucial for not only empowering consumers but also for improving the monitoring mechanism for quality of drugs in circulation, across the country and uniform administration of the regulatory system, etc.

The committee may co-opt any other expert, as deemed necessary. The panel will submit its recommendation including the ‘National Drugs Database’ of the drug formulations in three months to the ministry.

The health ministry has stepped up efforts to ensure drugs sold in India are safe, effective and conform to prescribed quality standards to the individuals. In July this year the ministry released a draft of the Drugs, Medical Devices and Cosmetics Bill, 2022 with an aim of reviewing, replacing and modernizing the obsolescent Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 where it has been persistently reviewing and streamlining the rules to further accommodate the changes and to adopt the new technology. The draft was prepared by 8-member committee headed by Drug Controller General of India, Dr VG Somani. Pharmabiz