India Leaps to 8th in Global Drug Safety Rankings, Unveils New Pharmacopoeia

He was speaking at the release of the Indian Pharmacopoeia 2026 (IP 2026) - the 10th edition of India's official book of drug standards, at an event held at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.

"The Indian Pharmacopoeia serves as the official book of standards for drugs in the country and is a cornerstone of India's regulatory framework for pharmaceuticals," he said, adding that the 10th edition reflects scientific advancements, global best practices, and India's growing leadership in pharmaceutical manufacturing and regulation.

Nadda also highlighted the remarkable progress of the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) under the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC).

"India, which was ranked 123rd globally in terms of contributions to the World Health Organization's pharmacovigilance database during 2009-2014, has now risen to 8th position worldwide in 2025," the Health Minister said.

He also highlighted that the Indian Pharmacopoeia 2026 incorporated 121 new monographs, increasing the total number of monographs to 3,340.

"The coverage has been significantly strengthened across key therapeutic categories, including anti-tubercular, anti-diabetic and anti-cancer medicines, as well as iron supplements, thereby ensuring more comprehensive standardisation of medicines used under various National Health Programmes," Nadda said.

Commending the IPC and the PvPI team for this significant achievement, the Health Minister Nadda stated that the strengthened pharmacovigilance ecosystem reflects India's sustained commitment to patient safety, quality assurance, and robust regulatory vigilance.

"In recent years, the Indian Pharmacopoeia standards have also gained international acceptance as it has become a focused agenda under the health diplomacy of the Government of India. He also noted that the Indian Pharmacopoeia is now recognised in 19 countries of the global south," he added.

Further, the Minister highlighted significant regulatory advancements and underscored the first-time inclusion of 20 blood component monographs about transfusion medicine in the Indian Pharmacopoeia 2026, in accordance with the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics (Second Amendment) Rules, 2020.

- IANS