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 In a major milestone for Indian drug regulators, the Drugs Control Officers (India) Welfare Association (DCOIWA), the national body of drug regulators in India, has officially been approved as a Member Organisation of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).
The global governing council approved DCOIWA’s membership during its recent session alongside five other prominent international bodies, including the Chinese Pharmacists Association, the College of Pharmaceutical Chemists of Peru, the National Union of Pharmacists of Mali, the Oman Pharmaceutical Society, and the Independent Community Pharmacy Association NPC of South Africa.
Additionally, the Inter-Union of African Pharmacists, Regional (Africa) was admitted as an allied organisation, expanding FIP’s total network to 157 member organisations worldwide.
Expressing immense pride over the recognition, G Koteshwar Rao, national president of DCOIWA, currently in New York, released a message of congratulations to all members, describing the entry as a historic step that places Indian regulators on the global stage. He emphasized that this recognition reflects the unwavering commitment of Indian drug control officers to ensuring the quality, safety, and efficacy of medicines, reiterating the association's guiding motto: "Right Medicine to the Right Patient, at the Right Time and at the Right Price."
Joining in the celebrations, Lalit Kumar Goel, former state drugs controller (SDC) of Haryana and a founding member of DCOIWA, extended a warm welcome and congratulations to the regulatory fraternity. He hailed the FIP membership as a defining achievement that will open new avenues for international cooperation, legal and technical exchange, and capacity building for officers across India, reinforcing DCOIWA’s core mandate of advancing regulatory excellence while safeguarding public health.
The origin of DCOIWA dates back to March 2019, when the tragic murder of Dr Neha Shoree, a drug inspector in Punjab, sparked a nationwide movement among drug regulators. In the aftermath of the incident, a digital platform was formed on social media to unite officers, express solidarity, and advocate for workplace security. Under the leadership of G. Koteshwar Rao, Ragesh Dahiya, and Lalit Kumar Goel, this initiative evolved into a formal pan-India body, officially registered as the Drug Control Officers Organisation India (DCO India) in September 2022 to represent regulators across all states and Union Territories.
Over the years, DCO India expanded its mandate and transformed into DCOIWA, establishing a robust framework aimed at officer welfare and regulatory excellence. The organization broadened its scope beyond enforcement to build an institutional framework dedicated to member welfare, leading to the registration of the Drug Control Officers Welfare Trust in January 2025 to offer emergency medical assistance and financial support to the families of deceased officers.
The Drug Control Officers Welfare Trust was officially inaugurated on February 23, 2025, in Hyderabad by V B Kamalasan Reddy, then director general of the Drugs Control Administration in Telangana. Operating under an 11-member board chaired by G. Koteshwar Rao alongside key regulatory officials from across the country, the trust has established a strong track record of organizing over 10 national technical workshops and 20 webinars for regulatory officers nationwide, while providing direct financial relief to the bereaved families of five drug inspectors who passed away while in service across West Bengal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
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