New Delhi, May 26 (KNN) The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) has said that Medical devices will have to display key information, including retail price, country of origin, customer care details and dimension on the packing itself.

This will allow consumers to make informed decisions when purchasing the items, said the government.

According to a report by The Economic Times (ET) on Friday, the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DOP) was informed of this through a letter sent from the DoCA.

The Department is enforcing a provision in the Legal Metrology Act of 2009 and the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules of 2011 on medical devices.

Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 mandate a proper declaration of the price, size, dimension and country of origin either on the packaging itself or on a secure label attached to the package.

The size and dimension are only applied to products where the size may be relevant either in relation to the unit sale price or by way of customer care details according to the tender.

The Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD), Association of Diagnostic Manufacturers of India (ADMI), and Surgical Dressings Manufacturers Association of India (SDMAI) requested that the ministry of health and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) be allowed to amend the packaged commodity rules for drugs, cosmetics and medical devices.

These associations had also requested that DoCA enforce and regulate Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, to ensure consumer protection, reported ET.

These forms of discussion and regulations have allowed DoCA to take decisive steps in order to enforce the Act that has been present for over 10 years now.

The changes should come as a relief to consumers who are looking to make more informed decisions when purchasing pharmaceutical products, as the market and range of products have expanded considerably.  (KNN Bureau)