IPC Signs Three Key MoUs in Nagaland to Boost Pharmacovigilance and Patient Safety

The MoU with Nagaland Drugs Control Administration marks IPC’s first such agreement with any agency in the North Eastern region, and only the second overall after the Uttar Pradesh FDA.

The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), Ghaziabad—an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare—has taken a major step toward strengthening medicine and medical device safety in India by signing three significant Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with key health institutions in Nagaland. The MoUs were formalised during a One-Day Training Programme on Pharmacovigilance and Materiovigilance held in Kohima, jointly organised by IPC and the Nagaland State Drugs Control Administration (NSDCA).

This landmark initiative reinforces IPC’s commitment to advancing patient safety, enhancing the quality of healthcare practices, and expanding the reach of pharmacovigilance and materiovigilance systems across the country, especially in the North Eastern region.

IPC Signs Three Strategic MoUs in Nagaland

The MoUs were exchanged between Dr. V. Kalaiselvan, Secretary-cum-Scientific Director of IPC, and representatives of three notable state agencies:

• Dr. Kevilhulie Meyase, Registrar, Nagaland Medical Council

• Smt. Imlilila, Assistant Drugs Controller, NSDCA

• Shri Khele Thorie, Registrar, Nagaland State Pharmacy Council

The signing ceremony was attended by senior officials including Shri Hoveyda Abbas, AS&FA, MoHFW, Government of India, and Shri Anoop Khinchi, Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Government of Nagaland.

Strengthening Public Health and Medicines Safety

The collaboration aims to:

• Facilitate the wider adoption of Indian Pharmacopoeia Reference Substances and Impurity Standards across drug testing laboratories under NSDCA.

• Promote safe and rational use of medicines statewide.

• Improve monitoring of adverse drug reactions (ADR) and adverse events related to medical devices.

• Strengthen the reporting culture among healthcare workers through structured pharmacovigilance and materiovigilance programmes.

This initiative is expected to benefit Primary Health Centres, district hospitals, tertiary care facilities, pharmacies, and independent healthcare practitioners in Nagaland.

A First for the North East and a Milestone for India

The MoU with Nagaland Drugs Control Administration marks IPC’s first such agreement with any agency in the North Eastern region, and only the second overall after the Uttar Pradesh FDA. The MoU with the Nagaland Medical Council is the first-ever signed with any State Medical Council in India for promoting both the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) and the Materiovigilance Programme of India (MvPI).

Meanwhile, the MoU with the Nagaland State Pharmacy Council makes it the fourth pharmacy council in India to formally join hands with IPC for advancing rational medication practices and strengthening patient safety protocols.

These achievements highlight IPC’s growing national outreach and its efforts to ensure that the benefits of pharmacovigilance systems extend to even the most remote regions.

Building Capacity Across the Healthcare Ecosystem

A key feature of the MoUs is the commitment to capacity building among:

• Physicians

• Pharmacists

• Nurses

• Drugs inspectors

• Scientific personnel in quality-control laboratories

• Healthcare workers in both public and private institutions

Stakeholders will receive training on ADR reporting, safe dispensing practices, rational drug use, medical device vigilance, and implementation of safety guidelines based on the National Formulary of India (NFI). The NFI will be actively promoted as a standard reference document across all healthcare facilities in Nagaland.

Enhancing Surveillance and Reporting Mechanisms

To improve the state’s medicine safety surveillance framework, the partnership will facilitate:

• Establishment and strengthening of ADR Monitoring Centres (AMCs)

• Creation of Medical Device Monitoring Centres (MDMCs)

• Wider engagement of healthcare professionals in reporting adverse events

• Annual celebration of the National Pharmacovigilance Week, in collaboration with IPC

IPC will extend expert guidance, technical support, and training materials to ensure effective implementation of these systems. In turn, NSDCA and the Pharmacy Council will coordinate with medical colleges, hospitals, pharmacists, industry stakeholders and field-level personnel to operationalise the programmes.

Towards Safer Healthcare for Nagaland

The collaboration signals a shared vision between IPC and the Nagaland authorities to create a robust environment where safe medication practices flourish, medical device risks are monitored, and healthcare delivery becomes more patient-centric.

By institutionalising pharmacovigilance and materiovigilance frameworks at the state level, Nagaland is setting a precedent for other states to replicate. The agreements reflect IPC’s broader national mission of ensuring medication safety, improving quality assurance, and building a culture of vigilance that protects every patient.