USP Workshop Examines Ways to Improve Medicines Quality in Asia-Pacific Region

PRESS RELEASE

Hyderabad, India, May 21, 2015 — The U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP), a global leader in medicines quality, is bringing together national medicines control laboratory officials for a workshop on 26-28 May 2015 in Hyderabad at USP–India, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen regional cooperation for improved medicines quality in the Asia-Pacific region.

At the workshop, members of the Asia-Pacific chapter of USP’s Network of Official Medicines Control Laboratories (NOMCoL) will learn new and practical analytical techniques, share best practices, and discuss ways to sustainably strengthen the capacity of official medicines control laboratories (OMCLs) in the region.

This year’s workshop focuses on:

• best practices for establishing and maintaining international accreditation;
• comprehensive methods for analyzing the quality of drug samples;
• novel strategies and tools for increased data transparency and information sharing with laboratories, regulatory authorities and other national and international agencies; and
• techniques to increase laboratory performance and improve drug analyses.

Invited speakers and guests include:

• Dr. PV Appaji, Director General, Pharmaceutical Export Promotions Council (Pharmexcil);
• Mr. PBN Prasad, Deputy Drug Controller General of India, Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO);
• Mr. OS Sadhwani, Joint Commissioner, Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA); and
• Mr. HG Koshia, Commissioner, Gujarat FDA.

This annual workshop serves as a platform for NOMCoL Asia-Pacific member countries to resolve shared challenges, report on national advances, and exchange data, insights and lessons learned. To support the advancement of medicines quality, USP has established four regional networks of OMCLs: The External Quality Control Programs (EQCP) network, created in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and resulting in OMCLs in Latin American and Caribbean countries (2001); and the NOMCoLs in Africa (2009), Middle East/North Africa (2010), and Asia Pacific (2013).