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Gujarat FDCA sets up cell for detection of price violations in drugs & devices
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Shardul Nautiyal, Mumbai
February 28 , 2017
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For effective detection of ceiling price violations in drugs and
devices, Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) will soon
recruit manpower for its National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority
(NPPA) cell based on the much awaited financial support from the
government.
“We have put in place all the necessary
infrastructure for the NPPA cell to function. Recruitment of manpower
need to be done through financial support from the Central Government. A
total of seven personnel including a scientific officer will be deputed
for the purpose of collection of data on price violations in the
state,” says Dr H G Koshia, Gujarat FDCA Commissioner.
Maharashtra
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also given its consent to the
NPPA to set up a price monitoring cell in the state for effective
detection of drug price violations.
NPPA had discussed and
proposed the plan with the state drug regulators to set up a dedicated
administrative cell within its office in 2015. While the expenditure
related to manpower, amenities and other infrastructural cost will be
borne by the Centre, state government will have to provide the space for
setting up the office within the state drug regulatory office, as per
the plan.
As per the provisions of the law, NPPA will give us
certain monetary benefits to set up the cell and is in the process of
allocating a budget on the same, said a senior FDA official.
NPPA
held a meeting with all the state drug controllers in 2015 in Delhi to
set up price monitoring cells in all the states across the country. With
the implementation of the plan, violations reported will be dealt
timely with the help of the state NPPA cells in case they find any
contravention to the provisions of Drug Price Control Order (DPCO-2013).
Through
the price monitoring cells, NPPA will closely work with the state drug
regulators to find out any discrepancies that affect the consumers. The
officials heading the cell will report their findings to the NPPA
directly in case they find any pharma company violating the law by
selling the drugs above the ceiling price.
Under the proposed
scheme, the cell is to be headed by one person along with a team of NPPA
officials whose strength will vary as per the size of the pharma
industry in the respective states. NPPA has categorised the states based
on three categories, i.e. based on maximum, minimum and least number of
pharma cos in the state for better division of work.
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