Transparency in the system
Speaking at the International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities, the Union Health Minister said that currently more than 95 percent of the regulatory processes in the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) have been digitized, which has brought transparency in the system. Regulations have also been made regarding the medical device industry in India and all necessary measures are being taken regarding quality drugs.
India has rapidly expanded its healthcare infrastructure and increased its vaccine production to meet both domestic and global demands. The successful implementation of the program to cover more than one billion people with COVID-19 vaccination reflects the strength of the country’s healthcare system and the dedication of healthcare workers. he/she said that as the ‘Pharmacy of the World’, India has played a vital role in ensuring affordable access to essential medicines, vaccines and medical supplies for countries across the world. Life-saving medicines and vaccines have been provided to more than 150 countries during the pandemic.
India supplies 50 percent of the world’s vaccines
Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said the Indian pharmaceutical industry has recently become India’s fourth largest export sector, exemplifying the level of our integration into the global pharmaceutical supply chain. India is the third largest producer of medicines in the world. India has the largest number of US FDA approved plants outside the US. he/she also pointed out that India supplies 50 per cent of the world’s vaccines, most of which go to UN agencies like WHO, UNICEF and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and organizations like GAVI. Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Drug Controller General of India, spoke on India’s achievements in the drug control and medical device sector, including the approval of India’s first CAR T-cell therapy.
Experts say that there should be QR codes on more and more medicines. A lot of information about the medicine can be obtained by scanning the code or QR code. The government has already given strict instructions to the companies to put bar codes on their medicines. Pharma companies may face heavy fines for not following government instructions. Through QR code, people get all the information like generic name of the medicine, brand name, manufacturer’s details, date of production, expiry details, license number etc.
