AIDCOC

The All India Drugs Control Officers' Confederation was framed on 28th December, 1995 at Visakhapatnam as a result of untiring efforts of many officers across the country and the initiative taken by the Andhra Pradesh Drugs Inspectors' Association, the Kerala Drugs Control Enforcement Officers' Association and Tamil Nadu Drugs Inspectors' Association
The first Executive Committee with Shri R. Narayanaswami as the first President was elected at the said historical meeting. The Executive Committee immediately swung into action and a constitution of the AIDCOC was drafted at the meeting held at Hyderabad. In this meeting, the Objectives, Mission, Vision and the Strategy to be followed clearly defined and documented.

HISTORY

The Drugs Control Officers play a very important and vital role in ensuring availability of safe, standard and efficacious medicine at a fair price and therefore they should be seen at the Center Stage of the Health Care Management system. However, in reality, they seem to have been marginalized and the organizations suffer from the neglect in terms and manpower, organizational hierarchy, independence and infrastructure. The officers all over India shared the feeling of neglect and a view that the authorities both at central and state level have not given due consideration and focused attention to the strengthening of the Drugs Control Organizations in India.

The Drugs Control Officers felt that as their number I limited and they are scattered across the country, their voice is really not heard by the authorities. Therefore, they felt the need to have common strong forum at national level to find the solution to these issues. The idea to form AIDCOC emerged out of such need and discussions held during the series of meetings held at Mumbai during the training programs of DRUGS Control Officers. The first step in this direction was taken in 1987 by way of forming an ad-hoc committee with Shri S.W. Deshpande, the then President of Drugs Inspectors’ Welfare Association, Maharashtra State [DIWA] as the convener and the co-ordinator. But the task on hand was very much daunting and the problem was further compounded by the constraints such as lack of manpower, overworked and scattered Drugs control officers and lack of means of effective communication. However, the officers did not give up as they believed in the dictum. “The winners in life’s game are not those who have never tasted failure, but rather those who have failed again and again, but who never gave up. Winners benefit from each failure and see it as a step to victory”.

AIDCOC BIRTH

As a result of untiring efforts of many officers across the country and the initiative taken by the Andhra Pradesh Drugs Inspectors’ Association, the Kerala Drugs Control Enforcement Officers’ Association and Tamil Nadu Drugs Inspectors’ Association, the dream was realized at a meeting convened at Visakhapatnam on 28th December, 1995. The All India Drugs Control Officers’ Confederation was finally formed and the first Executive Committee with Shri R. Narayanaswami as the first President was elected at the said historical meeting. The Executive Committee immediately swung into action and a constitution of the AIDCOC was drafted at the meeting held at Hyderabad. In this meeting, the Objectives, Mission, Vision and the Strategy to be followed clearly defined and documented.

LEGAL STATUS

The “ALL INDIA DRUGS CONTROL OFFICERS’ CONFEDERATION” is registered

MISSION

To achieve professional excellence through continuous training, better coordination amongst the Drugs Control Officers and more interaction with fellow pharmacists to establish the pharmacist and regulatory officers as vital link in the chain of healthcare delivery.

THE PHILOSOPHY AND STRATEGY

The strength of the Confederation lies in its reliance on ‘collective wisdom’, participation of all as an integral part of strategy and commitment to the philosophy “Future belongs to those who reach out for it”.
Confederation decided and concentrated its efforts in thrust area like publication, seminars, workshops, training programs and redressal of grievances. The Confederation also made conscious efforts to coordinate and synergise its efforts with other professional associations working for upliftment of pharmacy profession.

Coordination

In the initial stages, efforts were concentrated on affiliation of all State Associations to the Confederation. This was done through communication and by organizing state level meetings for which the Executive Committee members travelled across the country. This resulted in affiliation of the majority State Associations. The efforts resulted in strengthening the existing State Association and formation of State Association in the states where none-existed. Series of meeting were held in different states with the help of the state associations, e.g. meetings at Delhi, Chandigarh, Baroda, Ahemedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Jalpaiguri, Indore and Patna. The AIDCOC also supported state associations by participating in their annual meetings, by meeting the authorities along with the delegation of state associations and supporting their initiatives such as publishing newsletter e.g. FDA Vision by M.P. Drugs Inspectors Association. As a result of these efforts, except one or two states, every State Association is affiliated to AIDCOC. Officers from CDSCO and few other states where State Associations could not be formed because of less numbers of officers are affiliated to AIDCOC as the individual members. The Executive Committee made special efforts for participation of officers from North East States. The efforts included organizing meetings and participating in the program organized in North East States.