Informers on spurious drugs to get up to Rs25 lakh: Gulab Nabi Azad

Informers providing concrete evidence about anti-social elements indulging in production and sale of spurious drugs will get up to Rs25 lakh as reward, Union health and family welfare minister Gulab Nabi Azad said today.
    
"The provisions under the recent notification based on the amendments made in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, will act as a deterrent to the anti-social elements indulging in manufacture and sale of spurious and adulterated drugs," Azad said inaugurating the new building of Food and Drug administration Bhavan in Central Mumbai.

We want to reward the informers with upto Rs25 lakh, he said. Azad said besides substantial rewards, even the jobs of the informers would be protected.

Under the provision, the maximum penalty has been enhanced to life imprisonment for manufacturing and marketing spurious drugs, while fine has been increased to Rs10 lakh or three times the value of the spurious drugs confiscated, whichever is more, Azad said.

"Some offences have been made cognizable and non-bailable and a provision for setting up special designated courts for speedy trial has been incorporated. Also, there is a provision for awarding compensation to the relatives of the victim," he said. 

Azad also said, "Joint secretary of health, Drug Controller General of India should ensure that there are no loopholes while enforcing the Centre's whistle blowing policy to rein in spurious drug manufacturers."

He also appealed to the leaders of pharma companies to cooperate in rooting out the menace of spurious drugs as it affects the country as well as the industry in many ways.

"The health ministry will be taking up with respective authorities for setting up of designated special courts for trial of offences under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940," Azad said. "To begin with, special courts could be set up in cities and districts where there is concentration of drugs and pharmaceutical industries," he said.

On pharma companies promoting their products, Azad said, some manufacturing companies were resorting to unfair means for promoting the sale of their products by providing incentives like gifts, foreign travels to doctors.

He said recently, Medical Council of India has amended its regulations which stipulates a more stringent ethical code for doctors. He asked the pharmaceutical companies to evolve code of ethics for themselves as well.