CHENNAI: The Madras HC has ruled that licence shall necessarily be obtained for importing ayurvedic drugs and suggested the centre make necessary modifications in the existing rules in order to prescribe standards and prepare appropriate forms for granting import licences.
Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, in a recent order on a petition filed by an importer of Axe Medicated Oil seeking directions to clear his consignments from Singapore, said there is a strong public interest element, specifically public health element, in relation to the import of drugs.
Stating that the statute clearly applies to ayurvedic drugs and does contain a prohibition or exemption in respect of import of ayurvedic drugs a precondition for clearances, the judge said it is necessary that the products imported by the petitioner shall be in conformity with the standards prescribed for similar products manufactured in the country.
Justice Ramamoorthy ordered testing the consignment by one of the accredited laboratories of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and if the drugs pass the tests, they can be permitted subject to compliance of the other conditions for import.
The petition was filed by Axeon Marketing India which imports Axe Medicated Oil from Singapore. The company was issued notices for certain violations of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Rules in 2024. It submitted a reply to the notices.