- The Union Government has notified commonly used medical devices nebulizers, blood pressure monitors, digital thermometers and glucometers as drugs under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
- It will enable the government to ensure their quality and performance.
- The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) will regulate the import, manufacture and sale of these devices from January 2020.
- The DTAB, the country’s highest drug advisory body, had approved the proposal to include them under the purview of the Drug law.
- Currently, only 23 medical devices are monitored for quality by the country’s drug regulator.
- With four new devices being notified, 27 medical devices now fall under the definition of drugs under the Act.
