India’s apex drug adviser’s term expired in October. The govt didn’t know.
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: India’s highest decision-making body on technical matters related to medicines ceased to exist in October after its three-year term came to an end, grinding to a halt all drugs-related policy activities in the country ever since.
The Union health ministry is now in the process of reconstituting the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) after the lapse was highlighted during a meeting of the drugs consultative committee in January, according to three officials familiar with the matter. The drugs consultative committee is constituted by the Union government to advise the Centre, the states, and DTAB on matters related to administering the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
DTAB, a statutory body, in turn advises the Union government on framing policies and rules related to the administration of the Act, including on key public health concerns such as antimicrobial resistance to drugs and spurious medicines. “Whatever agenda was discussed in the last DCC should be placed before the DTAB...
If any existing policy or rule requires any amendment or improvement, that may not be implemented now," one of the officials said. “Even an emergency DTAB meeting cannot be organised like it was done during the covid-19 pandemic." Also read | India’s specialty medical courses lack uniform standards.
Regulator plans to fix it Reconstituting the DTAB may take 2-3 months because it needs to have representatives from the industry as well as from Central and state governments, the official added. India’ top drug regulator, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), has asked the Union health ministry to expedite the process of reconstituting the Drugs Technical Advisory Board, according to the officials,
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