Department of Ayush initiatives on Medicinal herbs

Department of Ayush initiatives on Medicinal herbs
Nksagar-Sagar Media Inc: India exports various herbal ingredients to European Union and in 2008 India exported 53 Million US$ worth herbal ingredients to EU. With global market integration government of India is to established regulatory structure or body,to match EU's Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directives to provide a regulatory approval process for herbal medicines in the EU.Since 30 October 2005, herbal medicines in the EU are controlled under EU regulation are 2004/24/EC,Trade Herbal Medicinal Products Directives{THMPD}:Under this regulation,a company needs to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the herbal medicines through traditional use for at least 30 years out of which 15 Years should be within the EU. THMPD came into force in 2004 granting seven years transitional period to all unlicensed herbal medicines to comply with the requirements of the directive.The seven year grace period ends April 30,2011.All ASU products have to comply with the requirements to get licensing under THMPD or get marketing authorization as regular medicinal product or to carry on as dietary supplements which again is market under a very restrictive environment. Department of Ayush in press briefing enunciated a set of draft guidelines for standardizing and clinical practices for Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani drugs along with other traditional medicines. The ayurvedic industry needs perfect Research and Development Centre's with International standards New science laboratories is need of the hour for herb industry in achieving a sustainable growth, herbs units thus must adopt these standard norms in their manufacturing process instead of traditional practices