Smt. Anupriya Patel launched the 7th Edition of the National Formulary of India, a guidance document for safer medicine use in hospitals, during the 6th National Pharmacovigilance Week.
On September 21, 2026, Union Minister Smt. Anupriya Patel, in her capacity as the Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilizers, launched the 7th Edition of the National Formulary of India (NFI) during the 6th National Pharmacovigilance Week organised by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC). This marks a significant step towards promoting rational use of medicines and enhancing patient safety.
The NFI, which is published periodically since 2009 by IPC, serves as a guidance document for healthcare professionals aimed at promoting the rational and safe use of medicines. The latest edition includes 34 chapters, 20 appendices, and 653 drugs, including 42 fixed-dose combinations and 30 immunologicals.
The NFI has been made available digitally through NFI Online. The launch event brought together senior government officials, regulators, healthcare professionals, academicians, researchers, and other stakeholders working to strengthen medicine safety and patient care.
During her speech, Smt. Patel underscored the importance of rational use of medicines and continuous safety monitoring in public health. She also highlighted India's progress in pharmacovigilance, moving from the 123rd position during 2009–2014 to 8th globally in contributions to the WHO patient safety database.
In a significant expansion of India’s patient-safety framework, Smt. Patel announced that the Biovigilance Programme of India has been approved by the Government of India. Under the programme, IPC will play a lead role in strengthening the reporting, assessment, monitoring and prevention of adverse events associated with medicines and biological products used in organ and tissue transplantation.
Source:
Press Information Bureau
