Pharma sector must combat spurious drugs menace

The President, Ms. Pratibha Patil, today said that country’s drug and pharma industry needs to set up wing to assist the agencies in ensuring quality drugs as Government alone cannot identify unscrupulous producers.

“It is the responsibility of every healthcare provider to ensure that the quality and safety of medicines are not compromised. There are instances of spurious drugs, which are harmful to health, being produced. This is a crime and an unethical practice,” she said.

The Indian pharma industry has become third biggest in the world by volume and is poised to touch $20 billion mark by 2015, up from $12 billion. The domestic industry players have a major role in ensuring safety and quality and providing drugs at affordable prices.

“The Indian pharmaceutical companies have an extensive presence in many parts of the world, and our pharmaceutical products are known to be of good quality, safety and efficacy. Indian generic drugs have helped in bringing down the cost of treatment of various diseases worldwide, which includes HIV/AIDS,” she said inaugurating the 71st FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences here today.

The event is being held in India for the first time in its 100 years of existence.

With its proven IT sector, demonstrated leadership in biotechnology, a vast trained personnel and cost advantages, India can emerge as a significant layer in global pharmaceutical research.

It already has the largest number of US FDA approved plants outside the US and is expected to be amongst the world’s top five innovative hubs with contributions of around 50 per cent to drugs discovered worldwide, the President said.

Dr. Michel Buchman, President of FIP, said pharmacists must distance themselves from easy dishonest trading activities.

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