National formulary of India to aid doctors, chemists & nurses on drug dosages to be revived in India

Last updated in 1979, National Formulary of India is now defunct

The National Formulary of India (NFI) – a publication that contains guidelines on right dosage of medicines for drug prescribers – is expected to be availed soon for doctors, chemists and nurses in its revised from.
 
NFI was first published in India in 1960. The second edition came out in 1966. NFI appeared again in its third and last appearance in 1979. It has now become a relic of medico-pharmaceutical history.

The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), which has taken up the challenge to revive NFI has initiated actions including the formation of a statutory committee to revise and publish NFI.

Publication of NFI is long overdue as there is no ready reckoner that offers information pertaining drug dosages and other prescription aides for medical practitioners in India.

NFI, in its updated form, is expected to serve as a ready source of authentic drug dosage for  the practising physician and pharmacist. Currently, medical professionals get the information from the pharmacopoeias published in India.

A pharmacopoeia is a compendium laying standards for medicinal and pharmaceutical substances and formulated preparations. Whereas, a formulary besides being an authentic source drug dosages, is also meant to encourage rational and economic prescribing.

There is no standard dose procedure for prescribing medicines as various textbooks of pharmacology and medicine prescribe different doses schedule. The physicians may not know the standard dose of a medicine while pharmacists and nurses would not be able to correct the medication errors in doses in the absence of any standard text book.

If the NFI is made a vibrant publication it can become a general aide memoire for prescribers on all preparations allowed to be prescribed in the country. Because formulary advices on how to choose the most suitable preparation.
 
Since one of the main purpose of NFI is to encourage rational and economic prescribing it can also be of use to nurses and other health care professionals NFI can also prove to be an educational tool for medical and pharmacy students.
 
Moreover, need for a national formulary is now more acutely felt as the new policy of excluding the drugs categories and doses from the monographs in the Indian pharmacopoeias created a void, industry experts said. Several categories and doses of medicines have not been included in the Indian Pharmacopoeia-2007 edition.
 
To make NFI a reality sooner than later, IPC has sought Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA)’s assistance, as well.
 
The pharmacopoeia commission intends to publish NFI editions on a regular basis in a ready reference book form.  IPF is modelled after British National Formulary in 1949. The formulary is published every six months in UK.
 
Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India. Its main function is setting of standards for drugs, pharmaceuticals and healthcare devices/ technologies etc besides providing reference substances and training.

IPC develops comprehensive monographs for drugs to be included in the Indian Pharmacopoeia, including active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients and dosage forms as well as medical devices, and to keep them updated by revision on a  regular basis.

The other areas where IPC is involved include:  To accord priority to monographs of drugs included in the national Essential Drugs List and their dosage forms;  To prepare monographs for products that have normally been in the market for not less than 2 years except for certain special categories of new drugs like antiretrovirals, antituberculosis and anticancer drugs and their formulations introduced more recently, which may be accorded priority attention;  to give special attention to the methods of manufacture used by the indigenous industry in selecting the pharmacopoeial tests for monitoring the toxic impurities of the concerned drug;  to take note of the different levels of sophistication in analytical testing/instrumentation available while framing the monographs;  to accelerate the process of preparation, certification and distribution of IP Reference Substances, including the related substances, impurities and degradation products required; to collaborate with pharmacopoeias like the Ph Eur, BP, USP, JP, ChP and International Pharmacopoeia with a view to harmonizing with global standards and to organize educational programs and research activities for spreading and establishing awareness on the need and scope of quality standards for drugs and related articles/ materials.
 
Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) is the premier professional association of pharmacists in India. IPA is affiliated with international pharma associations like FIP, FAPA, CPA, AAPS, AAiPS, IPSF & WHO, for carrying out various collaborative professional activities which include organizing training programmes for professionals from industry, academics, regulatory & practice, making representations to the authorities on matters of professional interest & working towards constantly upgrading the standards of professional services offered by the pharmacists.