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Re: Hathi Commission

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Hello all,

What is Hathi committee report? While searching literature for Hathi committee report, I could not get the entire report but get the part as references in other documents. These recommendations in parts were giving me the feel as if six blind men describing the elephant. Because this report has proposed lot many aspects related with rational use of medicine. Following is the collective data from the search.

The Hathi Committee

In the context of large-scale expansion of the drugs and pharmaceuticals industry, with a view to ensuring the regulated and rapid growth of drug manufacture and further with a view to ensuring that all essential drugs are made available to the consumers at reasonable prices, Government constituted a Committee in February, 1974 under the Chairmanship of Shri Jaisukhlal Hathi, which had Members of Parliament along with officials and non-officials as members, to enquire into various facets of the drugs industry in India.

The terms of reference (TOR) included:

Progress made and status achieved by the industry

Role of public sector

Growth of indigenous industry, including the small scale

Technological requirements

Quality control measures

Pricing of drugs etc

Almost all the aspects of the drugs and pharmaceutical industry were critically examined by Hathi Committee with a view to achieve self-sufficiency and to serve the national interest.

Hathi Committee submitted its report in April 1975. The report contained 224 recommendations spread over 8 chapters on various aspects of Pharmaceutical Industry. The thrust of recommendations related to reemphasize the leading role for the public sector, setting up of National Drug Authority, preference to Indian Sector over the foreign sector, indigenous production of raw materials, selective price control on prices of drugs etc.

Overall recommendations are:

Ø Restricted list of essential drugs

Ø Measures to be implemented to ensure their production

Ø Gradual shift be made from brand names to generic names

Ø Price control measures be effected with the aim of making life-saving drugs and essential drugs affordable

Ø Public sector should play a leading role in drug production

Ø Certain drugs should be reserved to encourage the growth of Indian drug companies

Ø Elimination of irrational drugs

The Committee decried the role played by MNCs and recommended immediate dilution of foreign equity in drug companies up to 40% and progressively to 26%. It had, in fact recommended the nationalization of foreign drug companies. The committee's recommendations included:

Ø Nationalization of multinational units

Ø Diluting foreign equities of companies coming under the Foreign Equity Regulations Act

Ø Earmarking some drugs for public sector undertakings

Ø Strengthening R & D activities

Ø Abolishing brand name drugs

Ø Issuing licenses for formulations of only 117 drugs which the committee considered sufficient for the treatment of the majority of diseases in India

Ø Measures for drug quality control

Ø Disseminating unbiased drug information to prescribers and consumers

Ø Monitoring of adverse drug reactions, etc

Ø Differential mark-ups for essential and non-essential drugs

The idea of setting up of National Drug Authority (NDA) started with the Hathi committee report, which, under Chapter IV stated that:

"The committee believes that health care has a direct relationship with socio economic growth of the country and a welfare state should treat production, procurement and distribution of essential drugs, as a social responsibility just as import as ensuring supply of food and shelter. With a view to tackling the problem of large scale production and distribution of drugs, the Committee recommends the creation of a Statutory Body which may be called the National Drug Authority of India (NDA)".

The report had mentioned several functions for NDA. The Government of India, however, did not accept this recommendation and no action was taken for creating NDA. Thus the Drug Policy formulated by Government of India for the first time in 1978 did not include the concept of NDA.

Hathi Committee report also insisted on the central drug quality control authority:

"The Committee of Economic Secretaries of the Government of India had considered the existing conditions in drug control in India in a meeting held in January 1970 and it was agreed that quality control of products manufactured anywhere in India was not solely the responsibility of the State in which the manufacturing unit is located, since the product is sold all over the country. If a unit in one State was allowed to manufacture and market a product of substandard quality, this would nullify the measures taken by other states. It was essential that the Central Government should assume responsibility for ensuring statutory enforcement and control over the manufacture of drugs all over the country and also supervise their wholesale distribution among the various States. Unfortunately, these decisions have not been given effect to with the vigor that was necessary mainly because of financial and administrative reasons. Augmentation of the staff and testing facilities in the CDSCO, it must be admitted has been slow".

Regards,

Dr. Smita Mali,

JRII, GMC,

Nagpur.

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Guest guest

Hi Smita,

Well done. Where there is will, there is a way. Had searching this been so easy, it would not have been given as an exercise.

I am saddened that except you none has made any effort. We still have time upto 25th Jan and I expect that we will have some more posts on the subject.

It is most unfortunate that the good work done by Hon'ble Jaisukhlal Hathi is not available on MOH website. For our net group which is continuously struggling to keep the rationality on high mast, this is one good report. Any member of NetRUM posting maximum quality information on the this subject will get an appreciation certificate from NetRUM.

I request Dr Mahadev Desai to adjudge the best contribution about Hathi commission report upto 25th Jan 2008 on NetRUM.

So let the search continue ! Good luck to those who strive to participate in the treasure hunt. And Smita you also can add on.

Vijay>> > Hello all,> > What is Hathi committee report? While searching literature for Hathi> committee report, I could not get the entire report but get the part as> references in other documents. These recommendations in parts were> giving me the feel as if six blind men describing the elephant. Because> this report has proposed lot many aspects related with rational use of> medicine. Following is the collective data from the search.> > The Hathi Committee> > > > In the context of large-scale expansion of the drugs and pharmaceuticals> industry, with a view to ensuring the regulated and rapid growth of drug> manufacture and further with a view to ensuring that all essential drugs> are made available to the consumers at reasonable prices, Government> constituted a Committee in February, 1974 under the Chairmanship of Shri> Jaisukhlal Hathi, which had Members of Parliament along with officials> and non-officials as members, to enquire into various facets of the> drugs industry in India.> > > > The terms of reference (TOR) included:> > 1. Progress made and status achieved by the industry> 2. Role of public sector> 3. Growth of indigenous industry, including the small scale> 4. Technological requirements> 5. Quality control measures> 6. Pricing of drugs etc> > Almost all the aspects of the drugs and pharmaceutical industry were> critically examined by Hathi Committee with a view to achieve> self-sufficiency and to serve the national interest.> > > > Hathi Committee submitted its report in April 1975. The report> contained 224 recommendations spread over 8 chapters on various aspects> of Pharmaceutical Industry. The thrust of recommendations related to> reemphasize the leading role for the public sector, setting up of> National Drug Authority, preference to Indian Sector over the foreign> sector, indigenous production of raw materials, selective price control> on prices of drugs etc.> > Overall recommendations are:> > Ø Restricted list of essential drugs> > Ø Measures to be implemented to ensure their production> > Ø Gradual shift be made from brand names to generic names> > Ø Price control measures be effected with the aim of making> life-saving drugs and essential drugs affordable> > Ø Public sector should play a leading role in drug production> > Ø Certain drugs should be reserved to encourage the growth of> Indian drug companies> > Ø Elimination of irrational drugs> > > > The Committee decried the role played by MNCs and recommended immediate> dilution of foreign equity in drug companies up to 40% and progressively> to 26%. It had, in fact recommended the nationalization of foreign drug> companies. The committee's recommendations included:> > Ø Nationalization of multinational units> > Ø Diluting foreign equities of companies coming under the Foreign> Equity Regulations Act> > Ø Earmarking some drugs for public sector undertakings> > Ø Strengthening R & D activities> > Ø Abolishing brand name drugs> > Ø Issuing licenses for formulations of only 117 drugs which the> committee considered sufficient for the treatment of the majority of> diseases in India> > Ø Measures for drug quality control> > Ø Disseminating unbiased drug information to prescribers and> consumers> > Ø Monitoring of adverse drug reactions, etc> > Ø Differential mark-ups for essential and non-essential drugs> > > > The idea of setting up of National Drug Authority (NDA) started with the> Hathi committee report, which, under Chapter IV stated that:> > > > "The committee believes that health care has a direct relationship> with socio economic growth of the country and a welfare state should> treat production, procurement and distribution of essential drugs, as a> social responsibility just as import as ensuring supply of food and> shelter. With a view to tackling the problem of large scale production> and distribution of drugs, the Committee recommends the creation of a> Statutory Body which may be called the National Drug Authority of India> (NDA)".> > > > The report had mentioned several functions for NDA. The Government of> India, however, did not accept this recommendation and no action was> taken for creating NDA. Thus the Drug Policy formulated by Government of> India for the first time in 1978 did not include the concept of NDA.> > > > Hathi Committee report also insisted on the central drug quality control> authority:> > "The Committee of Economic Secretaries of the Government of India> had considered the existing conditions in drug control in India in a> meeting held in January 1970 and it was agreed that quality control of> products manufactured anywhere in India was not solely the> responsibility of the State in which the manufacturing unit is located,> since the product is sold all over the country. If a unit in one State> was allowed to manufacture and market a product of substandard quality,> this would nullify the measures taken by other states. It was essential> that the Central Government should assume responsibility for ensuring> statutory enforcement and control over the manufacture of drugs all over> the country and also supervise their wholesale distribution among the> various States. Unfortunately, these decisions have not been given> effect to with the vigor that was necessary mainly because of financial> and administrative reasons. Augmentation of the staff and testing> facilities in the CDSCO, it must be admitted has been slow".> > > > Regards,> > Dr. Smita Mali,> > JRII, GMC,> > Nagpur.>

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