The government has reconstituted the 24-member National Drug Advisory Council to strengthen the implementation of the national drug policy and provide policy direction for the country’s pharmaceutical sector.
The council will be chaired by the Health and Family Welfare Minister, with the ministry’s secretary serving as member secretary. New members include the Health State Minister, the executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), and the chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR).
A gazette notification said the reconstituted council replaces a 22-member body formed by a June 21 notification, which has been canceled. The new order takes effect immediately.
The council will meet at least twice a year, with provision for additional meetings and the co-option of expert members as needed.
Other members include the secretaries of the finance division, the legislative and parliamentary affairs division, and the ministries of food, industry, science and technology, power, fisheries and livestock, and commerce. The directors general of the Drug Administration and the Department of Livestock Services, vice-chancellors of Bangladesh Medical University and Bangladesh Agricultural University, and representatives from FBCCI, the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI), and the Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Society are also included.
The council will advise the government on national drug policy implementation, domestic pharmaceutical industry development, essential medicines list preparation and biennial updates, and import, production, and export policy. It will also coordinate activities among ministries, agencies, and pharmaceutical enterprises, and advise the government in emergencies.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report