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TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, 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.

1. The Maharashtra government plans to amend the Mumbai Nursing Home Registration Rules, 1949, following concerns from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) over the 2021 amendment, which mandated staffing and infrastructure requirements for small hospitals. The new amendments aim to align regulations with industry recommendations to improve infrastructural and staffing feasibility for healthcare providers.
Source: bit.ly/3CFx3G1

2. The European Medicines Agency has set 23rd July 2025 as the date for implementation of updated International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) guidelines on Good Clinical Practises. This latest version of the guidelines encourages the sponsors to design trials that are fit for purpose and sufficient to provide confidence in the trial’s results.
Source: bit.ly/3CG9rky

3. In the 1st half of Financial Year 2025, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority’s (NPPA) overcharging demands from pharma companies dropped sharply, while the number of cases surged by over 50% compared to last year. This reflects a rise in enforcement actions but a decline in penalty amounts imposed.
Source: bit.ly/4jGCGnY

4. The amended version of European Union’s (EU) Medical Devices Regulations, 2017 introduced Section 10a to enhance transparency and availability of medical devices. It mandates early notification of supply disruptions, extends IVD transition periods, enables a gradual roll-out of Eudamed, and imposes new responsibilities on economic operators.
Source: bit.ly/414XApt

5. A Parliamentary Panel has urged the Ministry of Ayush to strengthen regulations for adverse effects reporting and ensure regular post-marketing surveillance of Ayush medicines. It has requested a detailed status report on actions taken to enhance the regulatory framework for reporting adverse effects and ensuring drug safety and efficacy.
Source: bit.ly/4gzfzZP

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TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, 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.

1. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has made a recommendation to the country’s drug price regulation authority (the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority), to install and implement the Price Monitoring and Resource Units in all of States and Union Territories where they have not yet been set-up.
Source: bit.ly/4hBFqB8

2. The State Consumer Redressal Commission of the state of Delhi recently held that the obligation of a treating doctor to attend to a patient during an emergency situation, should supersede and mitigate his liability against any claim of negligence that may be levelled against him for his failure to refer the patient to a concerned specialist where such specialized treatment may be deemed necessary but for the emergency situation.
Source: bit.ly/4jAMHTG

3. India’s foreign trade regulator, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade has issued a Notification instructing Regional Authorities (Ras) to reduce the Export Obligations of exporters in sectors that have experienced a decline of more than 5% in volume. This now includes, among other product categories the export of Radioactive Isotopes from India.
Source: bit.ly/42zKAcB

4. India’s foreign trade regulator, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade has altered the procedure for obtaining a Certificate of Origin (CoO) by exporters. Notably, the Export Inspection Council (EIC) has been stripped of its previous authority to provide and print blank CoOs, and applicants will also now be required to make their applications on the online platform.
Source: bit.ly/4hALDxj
Source: bit.ly/3EpEjGm

5. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers has recommended in its recent report, that various State Licensing Authorities should be sensitized on the best practices and procedures for the issue of license for Class A & B Medical Devices.
Source: bit.ly/4az0Lch

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TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, 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.

1. The Kerala High Court has emphasized the need for caution among investigating officers when implicating doctors under the POCSO Act for failing to report offenses. The court highlighted that such actions should not be taken lightly, especially in cases where there is no clear evidence of deliberate intent or negligence. This ruling aims to protect medical professionals from unwarranted legal repercussions that could arise from misunderstandings or misinterpretations of their responsibilities.
Source: bit.ly/4jxbEiQ

2. The Allahabad High Court has criticized government doctors for referring patients to private hospitals for financial gain, labelling the practice as a “menace.” The court directed the Uttar Pradesh government to formulate a policy to prevent doctors in state medical services from engaging in private practice, emphasizing the need for them to prioritize patient care in public hospitals. This ruling aims to ensure that government healthcare professionals fulfil their responsibilities without the influence of monetary incentives.
Source: bit.ly/3Cy62Eg

3. A leading Indian food company has recalled four tonnes of red chilli powder after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) ordered the action due to excessive pesticide residue levels in product samples. The company is advising customers to return the affected 200-gram packets for a full refund and is implementing stricter quality control measures with its suppliers to prevent future issues.
Source: bit.ly/3PTGhBw

4. A parliamentary panel has urged the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) to establish Price Monitoring and Resource Units (PMRUs) in all remaining states and union territories i.e. Andaman and Nicobar Island, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Sikkim and Manipur. The initiative aims to enhance drug price monitoring and ensure the availability of essential medicines across India. Currently, PMRUs are operational in only a few regions, and expanding their reach is seen as crucial for better consumer awareness and accessibility.
Source: bit.ly/3CeopOJ

5. India’s Union Health Ministry has requested a legal opinion regarding the extension of the compliance deadline for revised Schedule M standards for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the pharmaceutical sector. The proposed final draft could grant these companies an additional 12 months to meet the new requirements, which were initially set to take effect on January 1, 2025. This extension responds to requests from MSMEs for more time to upgrade their facilities and processes.
Source: bit.ly/3EdyI62

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TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, 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.

1. India’s central drug regulator (CDSCO) has called for urgent input from the pharmaceutical industry on regulatory challenges and opportunities for innovation. Stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry, including companies, researchers, and healthcare providers, are invited to share obstacles to drug approval, difficulties in meeting compliance requirements, and barriers to entering new markets and are encouraged to reach out to CDSCO through its official communication channels.
Source: bit.ly/3PNEUnW

2. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed a draft regulation that grants a one-year senior residency exemption to doctors with foreign postgraduate medical qualifications from five English-speaking countries (United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) to join medical colleges as faculty.
Source: bit.ly/4hlIQZn

3. The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of the National Health Mission (NHM) for another five years, until 2030, which was scheduled to end in 2025. This decision comes after the NHM achieved significant milestones in the past decade, improving healthcare access and quality in India.
Source: bit.ly/4h2YEzV

4. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has asked pharmaceutical companies and marketing companies of Iohexol, a diagnostic agent to submit price and market data. This action follows a directive from the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) to review the drug’s pricing.
Source: bit.ly/4h9DqR4

5. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a nasal spray as a monotherapy for the treatment of adults with treatment-resistant depression. This marks a significant advancement in mental health treatment, as the nasal spray is the first and only medication approved for this purpose.
Source: bit.ly/40G1bdv

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TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, 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.

1. The Supreme Court of India has ruled that only the Central Government can regulate, prohibit, or restrict the sale of drugs. The judgment clarifies that drug inspectors and regulatory authorities cannot impose such bans or unilaterally declare a medicinal product as prohibited without a central notification.
Source: bit.ly/3DTt3Su

2. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has reiterated the compliance requirements for e-commerce Food Business Operators (FBOs). They warned against operating without a valid FSSAI license or registration and making unsupported claims online. FBOs have been urged to adopt practices ensuring a minimum shelf life of 30% or 45 days before expiry at the time of delivery to the consumer, and to strictly adhere to food safety standards.
Source: bit.ly/3Z9lzmA

3. Indian Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the pharmaceutical sector are seeking a 3-year, condition-free extension for implementing Schedule M. They have cited financial constraints in upgrading their manufacturing sites to comply with Schedule M standards. In this context, they urge the Indian government to provide support in the form of financial and technical assistance to improve quality standards. The health ministry recently issued a draft notification proposing to extend the deadline for MSMEs to comply with revised Schedule M norms from 31st December 2024, to 31st December 2025.
Source: bit.ly/4fPf8u0

4. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has revised the ceiling price of azithromycin 250 mg tablets to ₹11.67 per tablet, up from ₹11.65, following a review order by the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP). The review addressed Cipla Ltd.’s claim that its product, Azee 250 mg tablets, with a 2.3% market share, was omitted from the initial pricing calculation. The NPPA identified discrepancies in the Pharmatrac database and included Cipla’s product in the updated price.
Source: bit.ly/40kDNB8

5. Maharashtra police has arrested a man who was allegedly running an illegal call center that sold controlled medicines, like Viagra and Tramadol, to U.S. citizens. The accused used VOIP technology to impersonate a legitimate pharmaceutical representative. Authorities have seized several gadgets and accessories from the call centre and charged the individual under various laws, including the Information Technology Act and the Indian Telegraph Act.
Source: bit.ly/405X1Kw

Posted on

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, 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.

1. India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed to reduce the sample size of Vitamin D2 for analysis as it is an expensive ingredient. Earlier a sample of 500g was drawn for analysis, however now a sample of at least 50g is to be drawn i.e., two samples of 25g each, from the imported consignment and after the analysis, the remaining 25g should be returned to the importer making the sample collection process more cost-effective.
Source:  bit.ly/4gN4R2m

2. The Federation of Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs (FOPE) has highlighted the growing concern of Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) drugs in India and has proposed critical changes to the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules thereby calling for the inclusion of temperature, humidity, and photosensitive drugs under Schedule P. This proposed inclusion aims to enforce stricter shelf-life regulations for these types of drugs, ensuring they are subject to rigorous stability studies to verify their quality and safety throughout their shelf life.
Source: bit.ly/49VvAYw

3. The Telangana pharmaceutical industry has raised several concerns with the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), seeking clarity on certain provisions in the Revised Schedule M. These concerns primarily revolve around discrepancies between mandatory requirements and the WHO guidelines, which are generally regarded as voluntary and non-binding. The industry has also raised concerns about the production of nutraceuticals in facilities that are primarily designed for pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Source: bit.ly/49R29Xs

4. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has given an extension to one of the leading manufacturer of drug for the continued manufacturing of two of its scheduled Tetanus formulations until December 31, 2025. This extension follows company’s submission of Form IV, requesting approval to discontinue these formulations. Under Para 3 of the Drugs (Price Control) Order (DPCO), 2013, the government has the authority to direct manufacturers of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), bulk drugs, or formulations to manufacture the drugs for adequate supply and accessibility of essential medicines.
Source: bit.ly/49TcdPC

5. The India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has introduced several significant changes to GST. Notably, gene therapy has been exempted from GST, and the decision on taxing restaurant services provided by electronic commerce operators at 5% has been deferred for further review. Additionally, the Council has clarified that caramel popcorn, due to its added sugar content, will attract a higher tax rate compared to salted or plain variants.
Source: bit.ly/3BFBNuT

Posted on

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, 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.

1. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has directed drug manufacturers to reduce the maximum retail price (MRP) of three crucial cancer drugs i.e., Trastuzumab Deruxtecan, Osimertinib, and Durvalumab. This is in line with reduction of customs duty and GST rates on these medications.
Source: bit.ly/4fBQ3Dd

2. Delhi High Court has granted a permanent injunction against a pharma company which had imitated the design and presentation of a drug manufactured by another pharma company. This ruling highlights the requirement for pharma companies to ensure a distinctive packaging to avoid copyright Infringement claims.
Source: bit.ly/40AprhH

3. The All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has urged the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to restrict a partnership between a rapid delivery platform and an e-pharmacy, citing concerns over regulatory and quality compliance issues that could potentially jeopardize patient safety.
Source: bit.ly/4fDJEqS

4. The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the state government to implement a QR code system to assess the quality of medicines in the state. This QR code will provide consumers with key information about the medicine, including production and expiry dates, unit details, batch numbers, and component specifics in order to enhance consumer awareness and transparency in medicine quality.
Source: bit.ly/3YE20Bw

5. UK government is set to launch ‘World-First’ Genomics-Led pandemic warning system. The system will utilize the technology to flag and monitor potential outbreaks of bacterial or viral diseases.
Source: bit.ly/4fBdyw6

Posted on

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, 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.

1. The government has expanded the definition of Homeopathic medicine, to include all drugs except those drugs “which is administered by injectable route”.
Source: bit.ly/48C6E7n

2. The government has given more powers to Adjudicating Officers under the food laws. In addition to existing power, they have now been granted the additional power to investigate cases of supply of false information as well as unlicensed operation of food business.
Source: bit.ly/3NPfCVw

3. India’s drug price regulator the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has issued a price-control notification requiring a proportional reduction in price of the drugs resulting from the reduction in the Customs Duty and GST.
Source: bit.ly/3YPz7Du

4. The Indian Medical Association has taken objection to the proposal of the Central Government to introducing category of “Geriatric Nursing Practitioners”, and the designation of these nurses as Medical Practitioners, stating that this conflicts with qualification requirements under the National Medical Council Guidelines.
Source: bit.ly/4fu2IrI

5. Several industry associations representing the Homeopathic industry in the United States, have filed a lawsuit challenging the power of the United States Food and Drug Administration’s (US FDA) power to require New-Drug Approvals, and further the USFDA power to prosecute and penalize violations.
Source: bit.ly/3YuZxJz

Posted on

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, 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.

1. India’s Health Ministry (MoH&FW) is considering a proposal to amend the New Drugs and Clinical Trials (NDCT) Rules, 2019 with an aims to reduce animal usage and minimize sacrifices during drug testing procedures. The amendment aims to remove the requirement for applicants to submit sub-acute animal toxicity study data for intravenous infusions and injections when seeking permission to import or manufacture a new drug already approved in the country.
Source: bit.ly/4f88Plu

2. India’s National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) has introduced its first edition of Care Home Accreditation Standards to enhance quality and safety in care homes centres nationwide. This initiative focuses on ensuring that even the most vulnerable populations receive top-tier care.
Source: bit.ly/40a4U3m

3. The Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), along with Jamia Millia Islamia University and Jan Swasthya Sewa Sansthan, has launched a global initiative called Community Focused Oral Health Research for Equity (CORE). This program aims to address oral health problems and improve health systems so that high-quality oral health services are available, affordable, and accessible to all.
Source: bit.ly/3UbOOCm

4. In India, the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sectors are increasingly using LipoDuo technology to improve product stability, shelf life, and formulation options. This technology, reportedly, is ideal for creating advanced products and supports ongoing innovations that lead to more effective and stable formulations.
Source: bit.ly/3NtR4Bb

5. India’s National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is recalculating the ceiling prices for three antibiotics based on a review application submitted by a major pharmaceutical company. The company had claimed that the pricing authority made errors in its calculations.
Source: bit.ly/4f88I9y

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TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

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.

1. The State Excise Department of Orissa has recently issued a notification to declare separated leaves of the Cannabis plant, also referred to as Bhang, as “intoxicant” under the State Excise law. Prior to this notification, Orissa was one of the few states where Bhang was not regulated as intoxicant.
Source: bit.ly/46J2NVn

2. India’s drug price regulator, NPPA, has rejected a price revision plea of a manufacturer of drug on grounds that it had failed to communicate revision of prices of the drug in Form II of Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 within prescribed timeline of 15 days.
Source: bit.ly/3M6bBuX

3. The Bombay High Court has observed that an egg/ sperm donor in an in-vitro fertilization scenario cannot seek the same rights as a parent.
Source: bit.ly/3YQVPeO

4. All entities who are not registered as telemarketers will not be able to make promotional calls. If any complaint is received against such entity, then it will be blacklisted for two years.
Source: bit.ly/3AsgYSM

5. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, the country’s internet and telecommunications regulator has issued an order to telecom and internet service providers to disconnect and remove access for unregistered telemarketers who are carrying out voice-promotional calls. Once disconnected, such persons shall be required to submit a compliance report within 1 week, and may be given an opportunity to register with the TRAI.
Source: bit.ly/4dD3eCE