National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has notified pharma companies to register themselves under the Integrated Pharmaceutical Database Management System (IPDMS) for Online filing of Returns. NPPA in collaboration with the National Informatics Center have developed the IPDBMS, which is aimed at facilitating online submission of mandatory returns or reports under the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO), 2013.

According to NPPA, "Availability of reliable database is a necessary pre-requisite for carrying out the functions of price fixation and price revision with respect to scheduled drugs; price fixation with respect to new drugs; monitoring the production and availability of scheduled formulations and the active pharmaceutical ingredients contained in the scheduled formulations; and monitoring the prices of non-scheduled formulations."

Pharma companies are requested to register and complete all registration formalities, by 30th October, 2014.

The reporting obligation is a legal obligation, which the companies are required to carry out with full and correct disclosure of information in a timely manner at prescribed intervals, the regulator said.

"Any default in the reporting would be deemed to be an act of contravention of the DPCO 2013 and therefore attracts penalties under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955," it added.