A part of the WHO's Rational Use of Drugs Programme, the system will ensure a careful selection of drug suppliers and more efficient use of drugs. Under the programme, random checking of samples is done to see if the quality of drugs is upto the mark.

The pharmaceutical factories are also inspected by independent experts on the basis of parameters like standard of facilities, competence of the staff employed, hygiene and equipment, to see whether the standards for good manufacturing practices, as set up by WHO, were being followed.

Delhi, incidentally, was the first city to adopt this system, followed by Himachal Pradesh.

According to Dr P.R. Pabrai, retired director of the Drug Control Laboratories, Ghaziabad, who is currently directing the programme, today said: ``Good manufacturing practices are a legal requirement under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and it is the manufacturer's responsibility to see that the quality of medicines stays good right up to their expiry date.''