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Union Health Ministry Launches National Formulary of India
The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare launches the 7th Edition of the National Formulary of India (NFI). The Minister also announces that the Biovigilance Programme of India has been approved by the Government of India.
National Formulary of India and Biovigilance Programme of India:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Publisher (NFI) | The National Formulary of India is published periodically by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) since 2009. |
| First edition (NFI) | The first edition of the National Formulary of India is published in 1960. |
| Nature (NFI) | It provides for guidance to healthcare professionals to promote the rational and safe use of medicines. |
| Use for healthcare professionals (NFI) | It is an authoritative guide to prescribing, dispensing, and administering medicines for healthcare professionals. |
| Policy utility (NFI) | It is useful for framing national drug policies in the country. |
| Role in practice (NFI) | It serves as an important bridge between scientific standards and clinical practice, guiding healthcare professionals in the appropriate and rational use of medicines. |
| Composition (NFI 2026) | The National Formulary of India 2026 comprises 34 chapters, 20 appendices, and 653 drugs, including 42 fixed-dose combinations and 30 immunologicals. |
| Alignment of drug monographs (NFI 2026) | Drug monographs are revised to align with the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) and National Health Programmes. |
| Linked resources (NFI 2026) | It provides access to links relating to National Health Programmes, immunisation schedules, Jan Aushadhi, safe disposal of unused or expired pharmaceutical products, and other authoritative regulatory resources. |
| Approval status (Biovigilance Programme of India) | The Biovigilance Programme of India has been approved by the Government of India. |
| Framework coverage (Biovigilance Programme of India) | It provides for expanding the country’s patient-safety framework. |
| Nodal body and mandate (Biovigilance Programme of India) | Under the programme, the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission monitors and prevents adverse events linked to medicines and biological products used in organ and tissue transplantation. |
| Relationship with existing mechanisms (Biovigilance Programme of India) | The programme complements existing pharmacovigilance and materiovigilance mechanisms, creating a broader safety-monitoring framework covering medicines, medical devices, and transplant-related procedures. |