Minister of State for Health Bharti Praveen Pawar said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Friday that the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has issued show cause notices to 31 firms. Other electronic platforms in contravention of the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
Minister of State for Health Bharti Praveen Pawar said in a written reply that issues related to quality of drugs, when reported, are taken up with the concerned State Licensing Authority (SLA) for necessary action under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act . The SLA reserves the right to take action for breach of any of the terms of such licences, including initiation of litigation in the appropriate court of law.
He also told the lower house that as informed by the CDSCO, various representations have been received regarding sale of drugs through online or other electronic platforms in violation of the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. Based on the findings of these representations, the CDSCO issued show-cause notices to 31 firms engaged in online sale of medicines on February 8 and 9, Pawar said.
CDSCO and the Ministry of Health have taken regulatory measures to ensure the quality of drugs in the country, as part of which the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 was amended under the Drugs and Cosmetics (Amendment) Act, 2008, so that Stringent punishment can be provided. In his written reply, the minister talked about the manufacture of spurious and adulterated medicines.
Certain offenses have also been made cognizable and non-bailable. States and Union Territories have set up special courts for speedy disposal of trials for offenses under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
The number of sanctioned posts in CDSCO has increased significantly in the last 10 years and in order to ensure the efficacy of the drugs, the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 have been amended to provide that the applicant shall submit bio-similarity along with the application. Will present the results of the study. Grant of manufacturing license for oral dosage forms of certain drugs.
Pawar said that with the amendment in the rules, it has also been made mandatory that drug inspectors of the central and state governments jointly inspect the manufacturing establishment before granting the manufacturing license.
(with PTI inputs)
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