Abstract
In a study on the regulatory standards in pharmaceuticals in India, this chapter points out that these regulations are industry-centric and do not aim to inform the consumers. While the economic reforms helped opening up the market for Indian drugs elsewhere, it also brought in improved standards of quality to be followed in the entire supply chain of drugs. Strict implementation of the same has resulted in the closure of units in different states and even the public sector vaccine units in the recent years. The regulatory standards though increased the documentation and related expenditure, also widened the export opportunities for the manufacturers. For the consumers, these regulations resulted in improved drugs, as the public health system also started emphasizing on getting supplies only from those manufacturers with quality standards. Environmental violations are observed in certain manufacturing pockets, which could lead to potential health hazards for people in those areas. Pharmacovigilance practices in the country need to improve so that adverse drug reactions among consumers are documented appropriately. Due to lack of these data, drugs that were proved to be unsafe for consumption and withdrawn from several countries are not withdrawn from the domestic market and more importantly such withdrawal orders are stayed by the legal courts.
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Notes
- 1.
In this chapter, drugs, medicines and pharmaceuticals are used interchangeably.
- 2.
The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) decided to centralize the process of issuing WHO GMP. This decision came after the realization that the certificates issued by states in many cases did not conform to the norms of WHO certification scheme and in some cases even the prescribed formats were not adhered to. However, this effort was thwarted by a stay order of the Madras High Court, since it curtailed the powers of the state authorities (Kunnathoor 2009).
- 3.
http://www.hindu.com/fline/fl2607/stories/20090410260711400.htm. Accessed on 15 September 2011.
- 4.
http://www.fiercepharmamanufacturing.com/story/india-restarts-troubled-vax-facilities/2010-08-02. Accessed on 5 March 2011.
- 5.
http://www.fiercepharmamanufacturing.com/story/india-waffles-vax-plant-again/2011-02-23?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal. Accessed on 26 February 2011.
- 6.
http://health.india.com/news/ranbaxys-indian-facilities-under-scanner-ghulam-nabi-azad/. Accessed on 11 October 2013.
- 7.
- 8.
http://www.fiercepharmamanufacturing.com/special-reports/12-greenest-companies-biopharma. Accessed on 25 May 2011.
- 9.
http://www.drreddys.com/sustainability/wasteoverview.asp. Accessed on 1 October 2011.
- 10.
http://drreddys.com/sustainability/waste-disposal.asp. Accessed on 7 October 2013.
- 11.
Bulk drugs are the basic raw materials or active pharmaceutical ingredients that are essential in making a drug.
- 12.
The first ever list of essential medicines was brought out in the year 1996 and was revised in 2003. The latest NLEM 2011 comprises of 348 drugs.
- 13.
- 14.
http://www.cdsco.nic.in/FDC_without%20due%20approval.pdf. Accessed on 5 October 2013.
- 15.
http://pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=78079&sid=1. Accessed on 9 October 2013.
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Lalitha, N. (2014). Regulatory Standards in Pharmaceuticals and Consumers: Missing Links. In: Das, K. (eds) Globalization and Standards. India Studies in Business and Economics. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-1994-1_7
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