AIDCOC criticises Committees on drug control

Visakhapatnam, Apr 29 (UNI) The All India Drug Control Officers' Confederation (AIDCOC) today alleged that mere appointment of committees to look into strengthening of Drug Control administration will not help as it had not acted on any of the recommendations given by similar committees in the past.

Speaking at the two-day Tenth Convention of Confederation titled ''Towards Empowerment of Consumer Regulator's Initiative'' that began here today, AIDCOC President S W Deshpande said the recommendations made by Hathi Committee in 1975, Task Force in 1982, Health Secretary in 1992 and the Arya Mashelkar Committee in 2003, remained only on paper.

Mr Deshpande said hence the AIDCOC had decided to play a proactive role in safeguarding the interests of the drug consumers by educating them about usage of drugs and work for delivery of safe, standard and fairly priced medicine.

AP Commissioner of Drugs and Copyrights, V Dinesh Reddy said there was a need to bring some amendments in drug enforcement acts.

Health Department did face shortage of staff and facilities, but the State Government was doing its best to ensure proper health services to the people, he added.

Mr Reddy said ''Drug control administration works under different departments in different states, but a common platform like AIDCOC will help them work united.

Former Bar Council of India Chairman D V Subba Rao regretted that various Governments had failed to formulate a proper drug policy, keeping in view the healthcare of the people.

Mr Rao said ''empowerment had assumed added importance in the modern day world and had become basic tenet of a consumer or an individual.

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