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Face with an escalating menace of counterfeit and psychotropic drugs, drug regulators from five northern states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Punjab assembled in Chandigarh on September 5 to proactively develop a coordinated strategy to tackle the menace.
Hosted by the Drug Control Administration of Himachal Pradesh (DCA HP) at Himachal Bhavan, the meeting aimed to forge a united front against these illegal activities that have been plaguing the region's pharmaceutical market. The initiative was spearheaded by Dr. Manish Kapoor, the state drug controller (SDC) of Himachal Pradesh, who emphasized the urgent need for enhanced inter-state coordination to dismantle cross-border drug rackets.
Besides Dr Kapoor, the meeting was attended by Lotika Khajuria, drug controller of Jammu & Kashmir, Sanjeev Garg, drug controller of Punjab, Lalit Kumar Goel, drug controller of Haryana, Tajber Singh, drug controller of Uttarakhand, and Akhilesh Jain, a representative from the Uttar Pradesh drug control department. In addition to this, the meeting was also addressed online by senior government officers from HP including Jitender Sanjita, director of health safety and regulations, Gyaneshwar Singh, ADGP, state CID, Manoj Yadav, commissioner of FDA in Haryana and Mohit Handa, SP, NCB Haryana.
According to Dr. Kapoor, the meeting’s primary focus was the development of a collaborative strategy.
Following up on a proposal by Haryana's new SDC, Lalit Kumar Goel, the officials agreed to establish an interstate coordination committee. This committee will be instrumental in creating a seamless network for information exchange and intelligence sharing among the participating states. The goal is to conduct joint raids and operations to effectively enforce the Drugs & Cosmetics (D&C) Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. This coordinated approach is seen as essential for overcoming the limitations faced by individual states in tracking and prosecuting offenders who operate across state lines.
A key resolution passed unanimously was the request to the central government to prioritize the creation of a ‘One Nation–One Dedicated Portal’. This digital platform would be a crucial tool in the fight against illegal drug distribution. It would allow for the tracking of psychotropic drug formulations from the point of manufacture all the way to the retail level. The regulators stressed that such a portal must be accessible to all relevant enforcement agencies, including drug regulators, police, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and excise departments, enabling them to work more effectively in controlling the misuse of these substances and saving young people from addiction.
In addition to the request for a central portal, the drug controllers decided to strengthen their internal mechanisms. They will frame an internal coordination SOP among their states to ensure continuous communication regarding the movement of spurious and counterfeit drugs, as well as the diversion of psychotropic formulations. This will include immediate information sharing about any illegal drug activities detected. The meeting also addressed the need for stringent legal action against any firms found to be involved in the illegal diversion of drugs.
Dr. Kapoor revealed that joint surprise inspections in drug manufacturing firms holding licenses for psychotropic formulations will be a continued practice. These inspections, to be conducted in coordination with anti-narcotics task forces, will be crucial for monitoring activities at the manufacturing, wholesale, and retail levels. The DC assured that these targeted inspections, based on intelligence inputs, will continue to be a proactive measure to ensure compliance and deter illegal activities.
The meeting highlighted the fact that the menace of illicit drugs is not a local issue but a national concern that requires a multi-agency, multi-state approach. The participation of senior government officers via online addresses, including representatives from the health, CID, FDA, and NCB departments, underscored the widespread recognition of this problem. This collaborative effort signals a significant step forward in building a robust regulatory framework to combat drug-related crime and protect public health.
The commitment of the northernmost states' drug regulators to work together and share resources is a positive development for drug control in India. By focusing on a combination of inter-state collaboration, the use of technology, and proactive enforcement, they aim to create a more efficient and effective regulatory mechanism.
Lalit Goel said the success of this initiative could serve as a model for other regions in the country to tackle similar challenges, ultimately leading to a safer and more secure pharmaceutical supply chain for all citizens.
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