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Health ministry's indifferent attitude delays recognition of Indian Pharmacopoeia in Ghana
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Swati Rana, Mumbai
October 15 , 2016
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The recognition of Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) in Ghana is getting
inordinately delayed, thanks to the indifferent attitude of the Union
health ministry. While the Ghana government is waiting for the final
decision from the Indian government, the health ministry is showing no
urgency in taking a final call on the issue, which will reduce their
product development cost and will also reduce drug registration time of
both the countries.
The Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council
of India (Pharmexcil) has taken the step for the recognition and
acceptance of Indian Pharmacopoeia in Ghana, apart from British
Pharmacopoeia and US Pharmacopoeia. The council is keen to promote IP
in foreign countries as the acceptance of IP in other countries will
reduce their product development cost and will also reduce drug
registration time of both the countries.
An official involved in
the recognition of IP in Ghana expressed the apprehension that their
efforts may go in vain if the Indian government further delays the
process of recognition of IP in Ghana as there will be general election
in Ghana soon, and once the new government is formed, the entire
procedure of recognition has to be repeated again.
He further
said that only a ministry to ministry talk process is remaining because
ultimately the Union health ministry is the decision maker, and only a
final mail has to be sent by the health ministry to the Ghana
government.
Top delegates from both the countries have made many
visits to discuss and understand the benefits of IP. The chief
executive officer of Ghana FDA, chairman of parliament health committee,
former health minister, secretary of West Africa Manufacturers
Association and secretary of Pharmaceutical Association of Ghana have
visited CDSCO headquarters and IPC office in Delhi early this year.
The
official from Ghana also had a discussion with DCGI Dr G N Singh few
months back on how to start the collaboration in areas such as exchange
programme and capacity building and agreed upon sending the technical
people to Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission for short term course to
understand where the differences are and how to handle them in the
initial stage.
Hudu Mogtari, chief executive officer of FDA
Ghana, had earlier informed Pharmabiz during his last visit to India
that the Ghana government will soon recognise the IP and has started
taking steps towards its recognition but the exact date and time cannot
be said now as it has to go through the decision making process by the
Ghana health ministry and it will not take very long. Our current law
creates room for the recognition of pharmacopoeia apart from those that
are specifically mentioned in the law. We don't need a separate law, it
is just a policy statement that would be issued that Ghana in addition
to all the other pharmacopoeia has recognised.
The CDSCO has
also agreed to provide support by providing training to the technical
officers, helping in capacity building for drug testing and also to
provide some basic standards necessary for drug testing.
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