Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has urged pharmaceutical companies to uphold the utmost standards of production quality. He made this call during a review of the Good Manufacturing Practices and Compliances within the Pharma Industry. Additionally, as the Minister overseeing Chemicals and Fertilizers, he emphasized the need for pharmaceutical manufacturers to enhance their “Continuous Self Monitoring of Regulatory Compliance” in order to bolster India’s global reputation as a pharmacy hub.
Through a tweet on Wednesday, Mandaviya’s office conveyed that he conducted a thorough assessment of the Pharma Industry’s adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices and Compliances. He highlighted the importance of manufacturers taking the initiative to strengthen their self-monitoring efforts, a move that would significantly contribute to India’s identity as a world-leading pharmaceutical provider.
The Minister also pressed the industry to conduct internal evaluations of their manufacturing processes and establish in-house teams for inspecting their facilities. This approach, he asserted, would guarantee the highest standards of production quality.
Earlier, Union Health Minister Mansukh announced that over the past eighteen months, India has commenced the domestic production of 38 essential active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) that were previously reliant on imports. He announced this during an event in which he highlighted the accomplishments of the production-linked incentive (PLI) initiative for the pharmaceutical sector.
Mandaviya elaborated that the border dispute with China in 2017 at Doklam prompted India to reassess its strategy of self-reliance concerning active pharmaceutical components. This shift was necessitated by the fact that India had been heavily dependent on a single country for the import of 95 per cent of APIs required for the formulation industry.
NHA Extends Incentive Scheme for Digital Health Adoption | ALSO READ
The health minister shared these insights during his address at the inauguration of the Healthcare Summit held at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA).