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Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission Signs MoUs with Three States to Boost Medicine Safety

The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission signed MoUs with Bihar, Maharashtra, and Mizoram state pharmacy councils to strengthen medicine safety. The agreements focus on promoting rational use of medicines and enhancing pharmacovigilance activities. Partners will work to establish adverse drug reaction monitoring centres and adopt the National Formulary of India. Joint training programmes and public awareness campaigns are also planned to improve patient safety nationwide.

Key Points: IPC Signs MoUs with Bihar, Maharashtra, Mizoram for Drug Safety

  • IPC signs MoUs with Bihar, Maharashtra, Mizoram pharmacy councils
  • Aims to promote rational use of medicines and pharmacovigilance
  • Will establish ADR Monitoring Centres and promote National Formulary of India
  • Focus on training, workshops, and public awareness for medicine safety
3 min read

Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission signs MoUs with Bihar, Maharashtra, Mizoram state pharmacy councils to strengthen safety nationwide

IPC signs MoUs with Bihar, Maharashtra, and Mizoram pharmacy councils to strengthen pharmacovigilance, promote rational medicine use, and enhance patient safety nationwide.

"This collaboration reflects a shared commitment towards strengthening healthcare systems and ensuring safer, more effective use of medicines - Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission statement"

New Delhi, May 12

In a significant step towards strengthening medicine safety and promoting rational use of medicines across the country, the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Ghaziabad, an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, signed three Memorandum of Understanding with the Bihar State Pharmacy Council, Maharashtra State Pharmacy Council, and Mizoram State Pharmacy Council today at IPC, Ghaziabad.

The MoUs were signed by Dr V Kalaiselvan, Secretary-cum-Scientific Director, IPC, with Dr. Prakash Sinha, President, Bihar State Pharmacy Council; Dr H Lalhlenmawia, Vice-President, Mizoram State Pharmacy Council; and Atul Ahire, President, Maharashtra State Pharmacy Council, in the presence of senior officials and representatives from participating organisations.

The MoUs aim to strengthen collaborative efforts between IPC and the State Pharmacy Councils for promoting the rational use of medicines, enhancing pharmacovigilance activities, and advancing patient safety initiatives across the respective states.

As part of the collaboration, the partners will work towards wider dissemination and adoption of the National Formulary of India (NFI) among registered pharmacists to ensure safe, effective, and evidence-based use of medicines. Efforts will also be made to establish NFI as a mandatory reference document in hospital pharmacies across state healthcare facilities.

The collaboration will further strengthen the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) by promoting adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting mechanisms and facilitating the establishment of ADR Monitoring Centres (AMCs) in coordination with PvPI. This is expected to reinforce medicine safety surveillance systems and encourage active participation of pharmacists and healthcare professionals in pharmacovigilance activities.

In addition, IPC and the State Pharmacy Councils will jointly organise training programmes, workshops, and continuing education initiatives for pharmacists to enhance professional competencies in rational use of medicines, pharmacovigilance, and pharmacopoeial standards. The partnership will also promote research and professional cooperation in the areas of drug safety, regulatory standards, and rational pharmacotherapy.

The MoUs also envisage strengthening public and professional awareness on medicine safety, pharmacopoeial standards, and patient safety through targeted outreach and awareness programmes. IPC will provide technical guidance, scientific support, and domain expertise, while the State Pharmacy Councils will facilitate coordination with pharmacists, hospitals, and healthcare institutions for effective implementation of the initiatives.

This collaboration reflects a shared commitment towards strengthening healthcare systems and ensuring safer, more effective use of medicines through robust pharmacovigilance practices and enhanced professional capacity across the country.

Dr. V. K. Paul, Former Member, NITI Aayog, Government of India, Dr G N Singh, Advisor to the Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh, and Prof. Y. K. Gupta, President, AIIMS Kalyani, were also present on the occasion.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Vikram M
Finally, some concrete action! The National Formulary of India should have been mandatory in all hospital pharmacies years ago. Too many doctors prescribe without considering the cost or availability of medicines. This will help patients get affordable and effective treatment. Good to see IPC collaborating with state councils rather than just issuing circulars from Delhi.
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Ananya R
This is important for patient safety, but I hope they also focus on educating rural pharmacists who often prescribe medicines without proper training. In many villages, the chemist is the first point of contact for health issues. Making them aware of ADR reporting mechanisms could save lives. The workshops mentioned need to reach these grassroots levels. 🤞
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Michael C
Interesting to see this kind of coordination between central and state bodies. From my experience in the UK, the pharmacist plays a key role in medication review and preventing adverse reactions. India has a huge volume of medicine consumption, so a robust pharmacovigilance system is essential. Hope this gets expanded to other states as well.
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Rohit P
Rational use of medicines is a much needed initiative. However, I have a small doubt — how many state pharmacy councils actually have the manpower and funds to run ADR monitoring centres? Many state councils are understaffed. If the central government provides adequate resources, this could be a game changer. Otherwise it might remain just another MoU on paper. 😕
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Divya L
This is really good news! In my hometown in Maharashtra, pharmacists often dispense antibiotics without prescription. If the MoU leads to better regulation and awareness, we might see a reduction in antibiotic resistance. I just hope the training programmes are not just in big cities

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