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The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) is set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu State Pharmacy Council (TN SPC) for mandating the subscription of the National Formulary of India (NFI) for all newly registered pharmacists.
This partnership, which marks Tamil Nadu as the second state after Uttar Pradesh to formalize such an agreement, will significantly enhance pharmaceutical practice and patient safety. The initiative is a direct step towards promoting the rational and safe use of medicines across the state's healthcare delivery system.
According to J Jayaseelan, president of the TN SPC, the core of the agreement revolves around the NFI, a comprehensive guidance document published by the IPC. The NFI provides healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, nurses, and medical students, with evidence-based and standardized information on drug usage, dosage, indications, contraindications, and other critical clinical details. By ensuring pharmacists have immediate access to this reliable resource, the IPC and TN SPC aim to significantly minimize medication errors and encourage the judicious use of medicines in both retail and hospital settings, he told Pharmabiz.
The key enforcement mechanism established under the MoU is a mandatory NFI subscription for pharmacists at the time of their registration with the TN SPC. This structural requirement ensures that professional competence is continuously strengthened from the entry point of the career. By embedding a culture of evidence-based practice and continuous learning, Tamil Nadu seeks to empower its 60,000+ registered pharmacists to become more effective contributors and counsellors in patient care, especially concerning drug administration and adherence.
Dr V Kalaiselvan, secretary-cum-scientific director of the IPC, underscored the national ambition behind these state-level MoUs. He confirmed that the IPC is actively engaging with the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) to enforce NFI subscription across the country. Simultaneously, the direct approach to individual state councils, which saw the Uttar Pradesh State Pharmacy Council (UPPC) sign first, is building momentum. He emphasized that the collaboration with Tamil Nadu sets a powerful precedent for other state councils to follow in prioritizing pharmacist education and public health.
The official signing ceremony is scheduled to take place at 10:00 am on Saturday, November 9, in a high-profile event organised at the Hotel Hablis in Guindy, Chennai. The program is collaboratively hosted by the Tamil Nadu State Pharmacy Council and the Tamil Nadu chapter of the Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association (IDMA). The partnership between regulatory bodies and industry associations highlights the unified commitment to ensuring medicine quality and proper usage from manufacturing to dispensing.
The ceremony is expected to be attended by key regulatory and industry leaders. Dignitaries scheduled to speak at the interactive meet include Dr Kalaiselvan, who will deliver the Keynote Address on the IPC’s role in medicine quality and safety, and J Jayaseelan, who is also the chairman of IDMA’s Tamil Nadu/Puducherry/Kerala State Board, will provide the welcome address. Special addresses will also be delivered by S Gurubharathi, deputy director of drugs control, and Dr K M Srinivasan, deputy drugs controller (India) from the CDSCO.
This strategic partnership will serve as a model for how state-level regulatory action can reinforce national health objectives. By making the NFI mandatory for registration, the IPC and TN SPC are not just distributing a document, they are instituting a professional benchmark that will elevate pharmacy standards, boost patient safety, and firmly establish the registered pharmacist as the primary gatekeeper of rational drug use in the state, encouraging a nationwide adoption of this vital policy, Dr Kalaiselvan.
The National Formulary of India is an authoritative guide to prescribing, dispensing and administering medicines for healthcare professionals.
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