Poor quality ayurvedic products from other states trigger concern
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ayurvedic products from outside the state have become a cause of concern for ayurvedic practitioners and drug regulators as many of them are found to be of poor quality. Even when such products dominate the market, the drug regulator has no data regarding the number of ayurvedic products sold in the state. It has been found that these products invariably dominate the list of drugs that are ‘not of standard quality’ (NSQ).
Kerala reported the maximum number of sub-standard ayurvedic products in the country when compared to other states. As many as 113 ayurvedic drugs sold in Kerala were found to be of poor quality, followed by 21 in Maharashtra, said Union Minister for AYUSH, Sarbananda Sonowal, in reply to a question raised by Ramya Haridas, MP, in Lok Sabha on December 16.
The list pointed out the regular action taken by the state’s drugs control department. However the officials admit that the list was not comprehensive. “The drug inspectors have monthly targets to test the samples. They routinely collect samples from manufacturing units here for testing. Samples from shops are taken when there is a complaint. It is a fact that most drugs sold in the market are from outside the state,” said deputy drugs controller (Ayurveda) Dr Jaya V Dev.
According to her the chances of finding a drug as NSQ are high when sampling is done on the basis of a complaint. However the quality checking in the department has been affected by poor manpower resources. There is just one drug inspector to manage three - four districts. Besides, the shops can sell any products as registration is not mandatory for manufacturers.
Dr Jaya clarified that when a drug is declared as NSQ it does not necessarily mean it is harmful to the people who consume it. “It may be less effective as the physical parameters do not match the standards. But there are harmful ones also and we take action to prosecute such manufacturers,” she said. The department has initiated around seven prosecution cases this year.
Ayurvedic practitioners pointed out the unhealthy practices in the industry where the manufacturer uses poor quality or even worse. There is also a practice of mixing ayurvedic products with modern medicines. There have been instances where the ayurvedic products had steroids and heavy metals above allowed standards.
“The shops are keen to stock cheaper products from outside when they offer higher margins. Some practitioners prefer drugs mixed with modern medicines for quick results, but are harmful to patients,” said an ayurveda doctor.
Former state drug controller, K J John, said the state can expect quality drugs only when the regulators in other states where the drug is manufactured are also serious about quality checks. Kerala has 743 drug manufacturers and 623 of them have Good Manufacturing Practice certification. While Kerala reported 113 NSQs, as many as 10 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and three union territories did not report a single case.