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NEW DELHI: India is the world’s largest supplier of generic medicines and accounts for 20% of global supplies by volume, said Mansukh Mandaviya, Union minister for health and family welfare on Friday. Indian Pharma
The minister was speaking at the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission Conference 2022. “We have become “Pharmacy of the World" by specialising in generic medicine formulation and manufacturing, and by supplying affordable medicine to the world. But we still need to strengthen research in the pharmaceutical sector. Till today, four countries – Afghanistan, Ghana, Nepal and Mauritius- have accepted IP as a book of standards. We should make a roadmap and move forward so that more countries accept our pharmacopoeia."
Mandaviya released the ninth edition of Indian Pharmacopoeia, which prescribes official standards for drugs produced and/or marketed in India and thus contributes to quality control of medicines. It intends to help in the licensing of manufacturing, inspection and distribution of medicines in the country.
“The world has started recognising us and giving importance to our work and accepting it. We should focus on how our pharmacopoeia can take advantage of this focussing on international trade and industries based on our strength in indigenous medicines," said the minister.
During covid pandemic, India delivered accessible and affordable vaccines to 150 countries. “While delivering vaccines and other generic medicines to so many countries, we have never compromised with the quality and standards or delivered sub-standard or spurious drugs. India has earned global accolades as a result of this," he added.