Encourage members to adopt IPDMS: NPPA to pharma associations

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has asked all the industry associations to encourage their member companies to start using the online Integrated Pharmaceutical Database Management System (IPDMS). 

The IPDMS is a platform for pharma manufacturers/marketing companies/ importers to file online, mandatory returns prescribed in Form II, Form III, Form V prescribed under the DPCO 2013. These forms are to be filled by the manufacturers/ marketing companies on a quarterly/annual basis or as and when required for submission of data regarding the formulation manufactured/marketed by them.

The circular issued by the NPPA states that very few manufacturing/ marketing companies importers are filling Form II, Form III, Form V through IPDMS. This is a matter of concern as data facilitates evidence-based decision making and information gathered can help in the regulatory process. This also promotes ease of doing business as IPDMS is an online platform and requires only one-time registration by the companies on the IPDMS.

Therefore, the NPPA has requested all key pharma associations to issue an advisory to member companies to register on IPDMS and file mandatory returns/forms. Besides, the authority has also requested pharma associations to provide information regarding member companies that have already registered and are regularly filing returns/forms through the platform.

Some industry stakeholders have expressed concerns about technical glitches in the following procedures.

Subhas Malhotra, President, FOPE said, “We have received the communication from the NPPA and very soon we will have an interaction with our members to understand the difficulties faced by them in following it. And based on the interaction we will take a necessary call on it.’