[india-drug] Quality Assurance of drugs in Andhra Pradesh

[Sunitha Srinivas <s.srinivas@ru.ac.za>]

(Source:
http://www.phronline.net/article/detnews.asp?articleid=14558&sectionid=3
Thanks?.SS)

Andhra health dept plans to recruit 50 drug inspectors on contract
basis
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y.V.Phani Raj, Hyderabad

The Ministry of Health, Medical and Family Welfare, Government of
Andhra Pradesh is proposing to recruit about 50 Drug Inspectors on a
contract basis with a salary of Rs. 6000 per month to meet the current
shortage of such staff in the Drug Control Administration. Most of
these recruitments will be from other departments of the state
government.

Drugs Inspector' Association, Andhra Pradesh, an affiliate to the All
India Drugs Control Officers Confederation (AIDCOC) has appealed the
government to stop the plan. 

Uday Bhaskar, president, AIDCOC told Pharmabiz that in a representation
sent by the Association to the principal secretary of the ministry, it
is made clear that such a step would hamper the functional efficiency
and commitment of DCA in eradication of substandard and spurious drugs
in the state. 

The position of Drug Inspector is a statutory post to be appointed
under Section 21 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 to enforce the
legal provisions under the Act and to see that the offenders are
properly brought under the clutches of law to enable the judicial
courts to impose stringent punishments. 

The post has always been filled by fresh graduates in pharmacy who are
properly trained and motivated to use their long services for effective
and efficient implementation of the provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics
Act, which laid a strong base for the protection of healthcare system
in the state. The drugs inspectors used to be recruited in the past,
either though Public Service Commission or by inducting the senior
staff at Drugs Control laboratories as inspectors. 

The people drawn on deputation or appointed on contract basis cannot
pay full attention and strive for excellence in the new field, thereby,
will result in great loss to the department, he added. 

The Association, instead, has suggested the AP government to recruit
fresh candidates as per the recommendations made by the House Committee
on Manufacture and Sale of Substandard Drugs presented to IX AP
Legislative Assembly on 15-7-1991, Justice Hathee Committee and Task
Force Committee, T Seshagiri, president, Drugs Inspector's Association
said. 

It is surprising to note that there were no recruitments in the DCA of
AP since 1992 and the department has been operating with about 50 drug
inspectors. Whereas there was need for additional 150 inspectors to
curb the growing menace of spurious drugs in the state. 

The strength of drugs inspectors at DCA has never been proportional to
the development of pharma industry in the state. On the contrary, West
Bengal where pharma industry is not so active compared to AP, has more
than 90 inspectors, Uday Baskar said. The idea of utilising user
charges for recruiting drugs inspectors by the department sounds
illogical, he added. 

And after a long gap of 12 years, the state government has thought of
recruiting drugs inspectors, but in a controversial manner. With the
assembly elections ahead (in AP), the timing of the proposal is sure to
raise doubts on the government's intention. 

Mashelkar Committee in its report has stressed the need for recruiting
new drugs inspectors to srengthen the drugs department. Hathi Committee
recommended that there should be a drug inspector for every 100 medical
shops and every 25 pharma units. It is time to realize that the
department needs to look at recruiting fresh drugs inspectors on
full-time basis rather than on contract or deputation.



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