Source: PIB & Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
The Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) has been recognized formally by the National Department of Regulation of Medicines and Health Products of the Ministry of Public Health of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. It will also be used based on the requirement as reputable pharmacopoeia in the laboratory of medicines and health products quality.
Significance
- With this, a new beginning has been made and Afghanistan has become the first country to recognize IP pursuant to the efforts of the Department of Commerce and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
What is the Indian Pharmacopoeia?
- IP is an officially recognized book of standards as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules 1945 thereunder.
- The IP specifies the standards of drugs manufactured and marketed in India in terms of their identity, purity, and strength.
How the quality, efficacy, and safety of the medicines are maintained?
- In order to ensure the quality of medicinal products, the legal and scientific standards are provided by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) in the form of Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP).
- As per, the Second Schedule of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, IP is designated as the official book of standards for drugs imported and/or manufactured for sale, stock or exhibition for sale or distribution in India.
Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC)
- Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) is an Autonomous Institution of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India.
- IPC is created to set standards of drugs in the country.
- Its basic function is to update regularly the standards of drugs commonly required for the treatment of diseases prevailing in this region.
- It publishes official documents for improving the Quality of Medicines by way of adding new and updating existing monographs in the form of Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP).
- It further promotes the rational use of generic medicines by publishing the National Formulary of India. IP prescribes standards for identity, purity, and strength of drugs essentially required from the health care perspective of human beings and animals.
- IPC also provides IP Reference Substances (IPRS) which acts as a fingerprint for identification of an article under test and its purity as prescribed in IP.
