The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the pharmacy councils of Bihar, Maharashtra and Mizoram to strengthen medicine safety, promote rational use of medicines and enhance pharmacovigilance activities across the states.

The agreements were signed at IPC headquarters in Ghaziabad by Dr. V. Kalaiselvan, Secretary-cum-Scientific Director of IPC, along with representatives from the three State Pharmacy Councils, in the presence of senior officials and healthcare experts.

Under the collaboration, IPC and the State Pharmacy Councils will work together to promote wider adoption of the National Formulary of India (NFI) among registered pharmacists to encourage safe, effective and evidence-based use of medicines. The initiative also aims to establish NFI as a mandatory reference document in hospital pharmacies across state healthcare institutions.

The partnership is expected to further strengthen the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) by improving adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting systems and supporting the establishment of ADR Monitoring Centres (AMCs). The move is aimed at improving medicine safety surveillance and encouraging greater participation from pharmacists and healthcare professionals in pharmacovigilance efforts.

As part of the initiative, IPC and the State Pharmacy Councils will jointly organise training programmes, workshops and continuing education sessions to enhance pharmacists’ professional competencies in rational medicine use, pharmacovigilance and pharmacopoeial standards. The collaboration will also support research and professional cooperation in areas related to drug safety, regulatory standards and rational pharmacotherapy.

The MoUs additionally focus on increasing public and professional awareness regarding medicine safety, patient safety and pharmacopoeial standards through outreach and awareness programmes. IPC will provide technical and scientific support, while the State Pharmacy Councils will coordinate with pharmacists, hospitals and healthcare institutions for effective implementation of the initiatives.

The event was attended by several eminent healthcare experts, including V. K. Paul, G. N. Singh and Y. K. Gupta.