Dear Reader, We are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.
Discount offered by Pharmacies and Chemist Stores through bill boards and social media will result in action against Pharmacists in Maharashtra
The State-level Council responsible for regulation of Pharmacists and their conduct in the State of Maharashtra has recently warned all registered pharmacists operating in Maharashtra, that if their medical store offers discounts, rebates or gifts through any kind of advertisement, then action will be taken against them for misconduct. As per law, presence of a registered pharmacist is required to operate a medical store in India.
Source: bit.ly/48EOXCF
Standards of Disinfectants and Antiseptic published for comments
The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission has released a draft of standards for testing and use of Disinfectants and Antiseptics in healthcare settings. All manufacturers and stakeholders have been invited to provide feedback on the standards before the 15th April 2024.
Source: bit.ly/48IbfDH
Controversial new standards for Undergraduate Medical Institutions may be deferred
India’s Health Ministry has reportedly requested the country’s Medical Profession Regulator, The National Medical Commission (NMC), to defer the date of enforcement of new infrastructure and personnel standards the NMC has prescribed for new Undergraduate Medical Institutes on the ground that the new standards are unrealistic. One of the controversial standards limited ability of existing medical colleges to expand seats they had more than 100 seats for every 10 lakh population in the State.
Source: bit.ly/3V4mOBM
No generic IP Exemption for COVID-19 therapies and diagnostics as WTO members fail to reach consensus
The Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Council (TRIPS Council) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) announced that it has failed to reach consensus on the decision to protect COVID-19 therapeutics and diagnostics from enforcement of intellectual property claims by private players in domestic settings. In June of 2022, the members had agreed for an IP exemption for COVID-19 vaccines.
Source: bit.ly/3V4WreY
Source: bit.ly/48KoaVD
US FDA to Collaborate with Industry Group to Develop AI Regulations for Health AI
One of the United States’ largest association focused on AI in health space, The Coalition for AI (CHAI), which counts major players such as Google and Microsoft as members, has announced that it will be collaborating with the US Food and Drug Administration, and several other government institutions, to develop quality, safety and evaluation standards for regulation of Artificial Intelligence in health space. The Board of Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
Source: bit.ly/3IquxTm