Drug Code Commission of India inks three MoUs to strengthen drug safety, quality standards and capacity building

The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with Goa State Pharmacy Council (GSPC), Quality Council of India (QCI) and HLL Infra Tech Services Limited (HITES) to strengthen safety, quality assurance and capacity building initiatives of drugs in the country.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Drugs Code Commission of India (IPC) and the Goa State Pharmacy Council (GSPC), a structured framework has been created for cooperation in the areas of pharmacovigilance, rational use of drugs and professional development of pharmacists in Goa. It aims to promote India's National Formulary among registered pharmacists, strengthen reporting mechanism on Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) under India's Pharmacovigilance Programme, conduct training programmes, workshops and continuing education activities and facilitate awareness initiatives related to drug safety, pharmacopoeial standards and portable pharmacopoeia. The MoU aims to support the establishment and capacity building of Adverse Drug Response Surveillance Centres and improve systematic reporting and documentation practices in health facilities across the state.

Under the MoU between the Drugs Code Commission of India and the Quality Council of India, the two institutions have agreed to collaborate in the areas of quality promotion, public health awareness and capacity building. The cooperation includes joint planning and implementation of training and awareness programmes, utilisation of institutional expertise and technical resources, and collaborative initiative development in line with national quality and safety objectives, especially in drug vigilance and related topics. The MoU is to provide a situational, non-binding framework to facilitate project-based cooperation wherein specific activities will be carried out through mutually agreed mechanisms. These will ensure quality assurance and comprehensive standardisation in the healthcare sector.