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Anupriya Patel launches 7th National Formulary of India 2026; India rises to 8th globally in contributions to WHO patient safety database
Pooja Srivastava
Anytime News Network
India has taken a significant step towards strengthening patient safety and promoting the rational use of medicines with the launch of a new set of initiatives covering medicines, medical devices and transplant-related safety monitoring.
Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel launched the 7th Edition of the National Formulary of India (NFI) 2026, a guidance document for hospitals on monitoring and reporting medical-device-related adverse events, and the ADR-PvPI 2.0 mobile application for iOS users at an event organised by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) in New Delhi.
The major announcement was the Government’s approval of the Biovigilance Programme of India. Under the programme, IPC will lead efforts to strengthen the reporting, assessment, monitoring and prevention of adverse events associated with medicines and biological products used during organ and tissue transplantation, including products administered to donors and recipients.
The Minister said medicine safety must become a shared responsibility across the healthcare ecosystem. She emphasised that every patient should receive the right medicine, of assured quality, in the right manner and with the highest possible level of safety.
India’s progress in pharmacovigilance has also received global recognition. Patel said the country has moved from 123rd position during 2009–2014 to 8th globally in contributions to the WHO patient safety database. Around 1,150 ADR Reporting Centres are currently operational across public and private hospitals and medical colleges, with plans to expand the reporting network to the primary healthcare level.
The NFI 2026 contains 34 chapters, 20 appendices and 653 drugs, including 42 fixed-dose combinations and 30 immunologicals. The revised monographs have been aligned with the National List of Essential Medicines and National Health Programmes. The formulary is also available digitally through NFI Online.
The 6th National Pharmacovigilance Week is being observed from September 17 to 23, 2026, with the theme of promoting rational medicine use through pharmacovigilance for safer healthcare.
The government is also encouraging the use of artificial intelligence, advanced data analytics and digital platforms to make adverse-event reporting faster and more effective.
With these measures, India is seeking to strengthen its position as the “pharmacy of the world” while moving towards global leadership in pharmacovigilance, medicine safety and patient protection.
