Parliamentary panel starts scrutiny of Drugs & Cosmetics (Amendment) Bill, 2013

New Delhi, 30 Sept 2013: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has started examining the new Drugs and Cosmetics (amendment) Bill, 2013 which was presented in the Rajya Sabha last month, seeking to centralise the licensing system in 17 categories of drugs. The Panel headed Brajesh Pathak is learnt to have already kicked off the process and took the views of the Secretary of the Department of Health and Family Welfare recently, after the bill was referred to the committee by the Rajya Sabha. The bill which seeks to set up the Central Drugs Authority was introduced on August 29 in the Parliament. However, the bill was not taken for discussion by the Rajya Sabha till it adjourned sine die on September 6, 2013. Later the bill was referred to the Parliamentary committee on September 9, 2013 for examination and report thereon within a period of two months. Apart from taking the views of the senior Health Ministry officials, the panel has also invited suggestions and comments from the stakeholders on the bill. The panel will also meet the interested stakeholders, including the public, for taking oral evidence during the course of examination. Revising the now-defunct bill of 2007, the new bill seeks to centralise licensing in 17 categories of very critical drugs included in the proposed Third Schedule of the Act. A separate Chapter containing regulatory provisions for medical devices and more comprehensive provisions for regulating clinical trials and exports are included in the bill. It has also revised composition of the Central Drugs Authority consisting of, inter alia, Secretaries of seven Ministries and Departments of the Central Government, four State Drugs Controllers and four experts, with the Drugs Controller General (India) as its Member-Secretary. “In order to have wider consultations, the Committee has decided to invite written memoranda containing suggestions/views/ comments of individuals/institutions/organisations interested in the subject matter of the Bill,” the panel said in a notice.

Pharmabiz