• PM was recently apprised of a MoU signed between the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission and Ministry of Health, Government of the Republic of Suriname for Recognition of Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) in Suriname.

National Formulary of India is a manual that contains information about selected pharmaceutical drugs. It also includes administrative and regulatory information. Different formularies are created for different levels of health care.

ABOUT IPC

• Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) is an Autonomous Institution of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• IPC is created to set standards of drugs in the country.
• Its basic function is to update regularly the standards of drugs commonly required for treatment of diseases prevailing in this region.
• It further promotes rational use of generic medicines by publishing National Formulary of India.
• It publishes official documents for improving Quality of Medicines by way of adding new and updating existing monographs in the form of Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP).
  • IP prescribes standards for identity, purity and strength of drugs essentially required from health care perspective of human beings and animals.
• IPC also provides IP Reference Substances (IPRS) which act as a finger print for identification of an article under test and its purity as prescribed in IP.
• The Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) is officially recognized by five countries: Afghanistan, Ghana, Nepal, Mauritius and the Republic of Suriname.
  • The Health Ministry seeks to expand the nations which recognize the IP.