The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) will host the 15th International Meeting of World Pharmacopoeias (IMWP) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) on February 5, 2025. The event will see more than 10 global pharmacopoeias represented by their officials who will deliberate on policies that will ensure the quality of medicines globally.

Key Highlights

1. Global Collaboration for Drug Standards:

2. The IMWP will strategize about the ways for improvement in the drug standards worldwide for patient safety.

3. More than 10 pharmacopoeia representatives and the representatives of the WHO Member States will be a part of the meet.

  2.  Policy Makers' Forum:

• The second edition of IPC's policymakers' forum is being organized at the same venue as the first one, which had been conducted successfully last year.

• The first forum was headed by Union Health Minister JP Nadda, and it comprised policymakers and drug controllers from 15 countries.

  3.  Significance of IMWP:

• IMWP was designed from the 10th and 11th International Conferences of Drug Regulatory Authorities (ICDRA) to provide a global platform for discussing drug standard policies.

• The forum provides participation from all WHO Member States' pharmacopoeias, national, regional, or international.

  4.  Role of IPC and WHO:

• IPC is the autonomous body under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare that establishes legally enforceable standards for drugs in India.

• The WHO also advocates the legally binding nature of pharmacopoeias as collections of standards and quality specifications for drugs.

  5.  Past version:

• The 14th edition of the IMWP was co-hosted by WHO and the FEUM, the Pharmacopoeia of the United Mexican States in 2023

Statements by the Leaders or Officials:

• Representative of IPC:

"Hosting the IMWP reflects India’s growing influence in the global pharmaceutical sector and reinforces our commitment to patient safety and drug quality."

• WHO Spokesperson:

"Pharmacopoeias play a vital role in safeguarding public health by ensuring medicines meet stringent quality standards globally."
The IMWP, besides, will also help India further push itself to greater heights as a player in the global pharmaceutical sector. Most importantly, however, international cooperation is at the heart of establishing strong pharmaceutical standards and subsequently safeguarding world patients.