Health ministry to omit Rule 124-A from Drugs and Cosmetics Rules

December, 2015

The Union Health Ministry will soon omit Rule 124-A from the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 which sets standards for veterinary drugs as Rule 124-A has become redundant. 

According to sources, the issue of omitting of Rule 124-A, which sets standards for veterinary drugs, from the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 was deliberated in the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB)'s latest meeting held on August 18, 2015 and the DTAB, the highest authority under the Union health ministry on technical matters, recommended that Rule 124-A has become redundant and therefore should be omitted.

In the DTAB meeting, the members were briefed that the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) 2014 now includes under it a separate volume for veterinary drugs. The standards for identity, purity and strength for veterinary drugs included in the Indian Pharmacopoeia are required to be those as may be specified in the Indian Pharmacopoeia. 

The Rule 124-A at present separately prescribe standards for veterinary drugs as, “For drugs intended for veterinary use, the standards shall be those given in the current edition for the time being in force of the British Pharmacopoeia Veterinary”.
 
The Drugs Consultative Committee in its 48th meeting held on July 24, 2015 had also recommended that Rule 124-A may be omitted under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. It was proposed to omit rule 124-A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 as the Rule 124 includes all drugs included in the IP and separate provisions for veterinary drugs is no longer required.