The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), Ghaziabad, an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Bihar State Pharmacy Council, Maharashtra State Pharmacy Council, and Mizoram State Pharmacy Council on May 12 at IPC headquarters.
Dr V Kalaiselvan, Secretary-cum-Scientific Director of IPC, signed the agreements with Dr Prakash Sinha, President of Bihar State Pharmacy Council; Dr H Lalhlenmawia, Vice-President of Mizoram State Pharmacy Council; and Atul Ahire, President of Maharashtra State Pharmacy Council. The ceremony was attended by senior officials and representatives from all participating organisations.
The MoUs aim to enhance joint efforts to promote the rational use of medicines, improve pharmacovigilance activities, and advance patient safety initiatives within the respective states.
The collaboration includes promoting the wider dissemination and adoption of the National Formulary of India (NFI) among registered pharmacists to ensure safe, effective, and evidence-based medicine use. Efforts will be taken to make the NFI a mandatory reference document in hospital pharmacies across state healthcare facilities.
Furthermore, the partnership seeks to strengthen the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) by encouraging adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting and facilitating the establishment of ADR Monitoring Centres (AMCs) in coordination with PvPI. This is expected to reinforce medicine safety surveillance systems and increase pharmacist and healthcare professional participation in pharmacovigilance.
The IPC and State Pharmacy Councils will jointly conduct training programmes, workshops, and continuing education initiatives to improve pharmacists’ professional skills in rational medicine use, pharmacovigilance, and pharmacopoeial standards. The collaboration will also foster research and professional cooperation in drug safety, regulatory standards, and rational pharmacotherapy.
The MoUs include plans to raise public and professional awareness of medicine safety, pharmacopoeial standards, and patient safety through targeted outreach programmes. IPC will supply technical guidance, scientific support, and expertise, while the State Pharmacy Councils will coordinate with pharmacists, hospitals, and healthcare institutions to implement these initiatives effectively.
This joint effort signifies a shared commitment to strengthening healthcare systems and ensuring the safer, more effective use of medicines through robust pharmacovigilance and enhanced professional capacity nationwide.
The signing event was also attended by Dr V. K. Paul, Former Member of NITI Aayog, Government of India; Dr G N Singh, Advisor to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh; and Prof. Y. K. Gupta, President of AIIMS Kalyani.