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. An interministerial committee constituted by the Department of Pharmaceuticals has proposed that health-supplements and nutraceuticals should be regulated as “Drugs” to ensure better quality control and to streamline insurance regulation as well.
Source: bit.ly/40QCmfk

2. In its recent meeting, the Ayurveda Siddha and Unani Drugs Technical Advisory Board (ASUDTAB) has proposed to amend the Drugs Rules and regulate the retail sale of AYUSH medicine, which would empower drug inspectors to inspect these premises and collect and examine samples.
Source: bit.ly/3Cve0xR

3. The CDSCO is set to hold a round-table meeting for all Cosmetics industry stakeholders, including manufacturers and marketers to discuss issues including expansion of permission for cosmetics manufacturers to manufacture topical products.
Source: bit.ly/4ey6nDX

4. The Supreme Court dismissed a Special Leave Petition filed in response to the decision of the Delhi High Court seeking Order to mandate Doctors to explain side-effects to patients, holding that since there is no obvious issue highlighted with the side-effect information legally required to be presented by manufacturers, it is not necessary to require Doctors to do the same.
Source: bit.ly/48WLP70
Source: bit.ly/3UV5MoM

5. In a recent decision, the Supreme Court held that when examining petitions concerning procedural irregularities under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, Courts should limit their examination to merely determining whether a valid arbitration agreement is existing and whether there is a preliminary dispute regarding appointment of Arbitrators.
Source: bit.ly/4ezdTP6

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. A recent Right to Information filing before the Ministry of Health and Family welfare has brought to  attention that the Central government has not notified or published procedure in light of the  proposed 2022 Amendment to the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 which aimed to allow appeal against decisions of the State and National Medical Commission before the autonomous Ethics and Medical Review Board.
Source: bit.ly/486DMnN
Source: bit.ly/4h3sHaZ

2. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court held in a recent decision that the insurance company does not have the discretion to reduce the eligible claim amount solely on the basis that compensation has already been given to the claimant from the government.
Source: bit.ly/48a2Bz6

3. The Department of Consumer Affairs has issued the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Greenwashing and Misleading Environmental Claims, 2024. These guidelines regulates the nature of technical terms that can be used in these claims, and prescribes requirements for substantiation of the claims.
Source: bit.ly/3A3vIYi

4. The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, has proposed to initiate a program for accreditation of bio-banking facilities modelled after the international standards as prescribed under ISO 20367:2019.
Source: bit.ly/3BJfa8z

5. The United States Drug Administrative Science Board has recommended that the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) set up an office to monitor alternatives to animal testing methods, and bring them within the quality control regime of the USFDA.
Source: bit.ly/3U7gW9N

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 Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) has reportedly recommended to make Sugam portal database of all the products with brand names accessible to the general public to address the issue of different drug formulations of different therapeutic categories being sold with same or similar brand names in the nation.
Source: bit.ly/3XMWBbV2. The National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) has revised the accreditation standards for hospitals which will come into effect on January 1, 2025. No surveillance assessment will be conducted as per the old accreditation standard by NABH after 31st March 2025.
Source: bit.ly/47ydjPr

3. India’s Central Food Regulator will approve import of food consignments from Bhutan on the strength of Health Certificate issued by Bhutan Food and Drug Authority provided they are manufactured by the approved list of establishments of Bhutan.
Source: bit.ly/4gmtRxY

4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned a major pharmaceutical company for making false and misleading claims about the benefits of a migraine pill in a television advertisement by a famous sports person. The claims were made against the results that were demonstrated in clinical trials.
Source: bit.ly/4gtau6m

5. A group of experts constituted by NITI Aayog to prepare a framework for action for emergency response and preparedness to address future pandemic, has recommended making the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) an independent regulatory authority. They have recommended to provide CDSCO with approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Accelerated Emergency Use Authorisation for innovations and provisions for fast-tracking the process during pandemics.
Source: bit.ly/3XNynys

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.

Good Distribution Practices may be implemented in India for pharmaceutical products soon
India’s Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) has recommended that draft of revised Good Distribution Practices (GDP) guidelines for pharmaceutical products should be made mandatory soon. The DCC is of the view that there is a gap in the law which requires owners of premises such as warehouses to ensure appropriate storage condition for drugs, but no such requirement exists for transporters who transport the drugs, and this affects the quality of drugs.
Source: bit.ly/49cMPCk

TB vaccine clinical trials begins in India
A Hyderabad based biotechnology company has started Phase 3 clinical trials of tuberculosis (TB) vaccine called MTBVAC among the adults in India. The vaccine is the first live attenuated vaccine of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from human strain, unlike the BCG vaccine.
Source: bit.ly/495Zuak

Medical and Sales Representatives’ body says new Pharma Marketing Code lacks teeth
The Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives’ Associations of India (FMRAI) has criticized the newly notified Uniform Code for Pharmaceuticals Marketing Practices (UCPMP), describing it as a futile effort. It stated that the new code lacks statutory enforcement and contains no explicit penal provisions against unethical marketing by pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Source: bit.ly/495ZAic

Fire safety in hospitals should be evaluated by Government before Summer Season: Disaster Management Body
India’s Union Health Ministry and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) have jointly issued an advisory to all States and Union Territories (UT’s) to take proactive measures to check fire safety compliance of all hospitals before the incoming summer season.
Source: bit.ly/4akq9Bg

No change in surrender value norms for life insurance policies: Insurance Regulator
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has decided to retain the current surrender value requirements for life insurance policies due to concerns over higher surrender value expressed by the industry. Surrender value in life insurance is an amount paid by the insurer to the policyholder when the policy is terminated prior to the policy’s maturity date.
Source: bit.ly/43zOkcL