By Team Ayurved Sutra
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New Scheme to Promote Pharmacovigilance of AYUSH Drugs
New Delhi: Ministry of AYUSH has recently introduced a new Central Sector scheme for promoting pharmacovigilance of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy (ASU&H) Drugs. “Prime objective of the scheme is to develop the culture of documenting adverse effects and undertake safety monitoring of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs and surveillance of misleading advertisements appearing in the print and electronic media,” informed Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH.
“The scheme intends to facilitate the establishment of three-tier network of National Pharmacovigilance Centre (NPvCC), Intermediary Pharmacovigilance Centres (IPvCCs) and Peripheral Pharmacovigilance Centres (PPvCC),” he added.
Ministry intends to achieve the target of 100 peripheral pharmacovigilance centres by 2020. Government in the first instance has sanctioned grant of Rs 10.60 Crore to All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi to establish the proposed pharmacovigilance network and steer implementation of the initiative with standard protocol and reporting format, training of coordinators & nodal officers, constitution of various committees and systematic reporting of the progress.
“The quality issues and safety concerns of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy Drugs have been raised from various sources. We felt it is necessary in the interest of Public Health to oversee the impact of ASU&H Drugs consumed by the people from the
perspective of their safety profile. Similarly, publicizing improper drug information in the form advertisements is a matter of concern that needs to be addressed to safeguard the interest of AYUSH drug consumers. Pharmacovigilance initiative will facilitate detection of potentially unsafe ASU&H medicines and misleading advertisements for taking regulatory action against them,” he said.
In fact, Ministry of AYUSH is planning to come up with a portal where anyone can report whether the end user or the doctor about unethical activities. (For Detailed interview , rea
d the latest issue of AYURVED SUTRA Vol 05 Issue 12)
