A Review on the National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau (NPCB)

  A Review on the National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau (NPCB)

The National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau (NPCB), set up in October 1978 under the quality control activity of Pharmacy and Supply programme. The NPCB serves  the nation  to ensure the quality and safety of the pharmaceutical, traditional and cosmeceutical products consumed by the people.  NPCB's vission is to be a world renown regulatory authority for medicinal products and cosmetics and it's mission is to safeguard the nation's health through scientific excellence in the regulatory control of medicinal products and cosmetics. 

The infrastructures and facilities for testing and quality activities were designed to meet the requirements. Since 1985, NPCB task was to ensure the quality,efficacy and safety of pharmaceuticals through the registration and licensing scheme. However, this was done by evaluating scientific data and performing laboratory tests on all products before they are marketed. A system to monitor products was set up and drug information to the consumers and medical profession was made available and easy through a drug information service.

In the year 1996 NPCB was given an international recognition as a ‘WHO Collaborating Centre for Regulatory Control of Pharmaceuticals’ by the World Health Organization (WHO).  

The importance of this instituition to future phamacists are:

• To be supplied with safe, effective and high qualitied drugs.
• To be monitored in order to follow the rules and regulations set by the Ministry of Health Malayasia during practice.
• To obtain appropriate cosmetic notification based on technical data, laboratory, research and information received from the NPCB.
• To limit the usage of powerful or much stronger drugs in the market. (to prevent drug resistance)
• To provide future pharmacists with adequate information regarding the drug  and alert them with any latest updates regarding the drugs or any pharmaceutical, traditional or cosmeceutical product.
• To implement awareness among the future pharmacist on hoe to be more careful and alert when handling drugs  any pharmaceutical products.
• To carry out researches on the drugs, traditional and cosmeceutical products for modification of the drugs for improvement purposes.
• To be monitored in order to always maintain Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for industrial pharmacists especially.
• To minimize cases of adverse reactions of drugs, pharmceuticaal and cosmeceutical products.
• Help to provide drug information to consumers and thus making it easier for the pharmacists as the consumers/patients will be more knowledgeable regarding drugs and so will eventually minimize medication error which is one of the main major problems that occur in the phamacy field.

And that was a few uses of the NPCB to future pharmacist. However, as this institution is growing eveyrday with the latest information and improvement, there will be alot more benefits to come from it to us in the future.