New Delhi, July 8 (IANS) The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has enabled the import of drugs through the newly inaugurated Navi Mumbai Airport in Maharashtra, expanding designated entry points for pharmaceutical consignments to 42 ports, an official statement said on Wednesday.

The move through amendment to Rule 43A of the Drugs Rules, 1945 that adds Navi Mumbai to the list of airports through which drugs may be imported, marks a significant step towards strengthening the pharmaceutical supply chain and facilitating ease of trade.

The statement from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said the notification has been issued after consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

“The amendment is expected to facilitate smoother movement of pharmaceutical consignments, strengthen logistics infrastructure, and provide greater flexibility to importers by adding a new alternative for import of medicines into India,” the statement noted.

The initiative is in line with the government’s continued efforts to strengthen the regulatory framework, improve trade facilitation, and promote ease of doing business while ensuring effective regulatory oversight of imported drugs, it added.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had in June proposed amendments to the Drugs Rules, 1945 to simplify the procedure for obtaining permission for import of drugs for examination, test or analysis, commonly known as through Form 11.

The amendment introduces an acknowledgement-based system for import of all drugs in small quantities for analytical and non-clinical testing purposes.

The amendment is expected to significantly reduce the compliance burden on applicants by eliminating licensing requirements for importing small quantities of drugs for testing or R&D purposes, the statement noted.

The move will promote research and innovation along with enhancing ease of doing business in the pharmaceutical sector enabling start-ups and industries to quickly initiate testing or analysis.

—IANS

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