The Hindu Business Line : Pharma congress in Kolkata from Dec 3

The three-day 56th congress, to be flagged off by the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, on December 3, is expected to attract over 5,000 delegates, from within the country and abroad.

About 900 scientific papers would be presented at the various plenary and technical sessions. The delegates would include industry professionals, researchers, academicians and students.

The Union Health Minister, Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, is expected to attend the valedictory session on December 5.

Drug Controllers from the different South Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka are also expected to participate in the IPC. Some 120 delegates are expected from Bangladesh alone.

A pharma exhibition is also being organised jointly with FICCI. All top Indian pharma companies are expected to display their products and accessories at the Expo.

Addressing a news conference here on the event, Dr Sujan Chakraborty, MP, Chairman of the local organising committee of the IPC, said a large delegation would be participating in the three-day event, to track the various developments in the Indian pharma sector.

He said every aspect of the healthcare chain, from research to computer-aided drug design, pharmaceutical market research, pharmacists' role in disease prevention and health promotion in India besides opportunities and challenges in clinical research for pharmacy graduates, packaging, patents and regulatory challenges would be covered during the Congress.

Elaborating on the Congress' theme of "Pharmacists' role in Healthcare System", Dr Chakraborty said with the new patent regime in India coming into effect from January 2005, "it is important that we step up the momentum, as there are many challenges before us".

He felt India, with its highly skilled pharmacists' force, was certainly up to the task. The 56th IPC, according to him, will look at both new advancements and new directions where Pharmacists can make a significant impact.

The Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association (IPCA), organisers of the IPC, is a confederation of five leading associations in the pharma sector - Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA), Indian Hospital Pharmacists' Association, Indian Pharmacy Graduate Association, Association of Pharmacy Teachers of India and the All India Drug Control Officers' Confederation. The 56th IPC is being hosted by the West Bengal Chapter of IPA.

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