Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy

Why is in news? A significant step taken to upgrade laboratory capacity for Quality Control of Traditional/Herbal Products in South East Asia Region

Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H), Ministry of Ayush in collaboration with WHO South East Asia Region (WHO-SEARO) has taken a major stride to upgrade laboratory capacity for quality control of Tradition/Herbal products in South East Asia region.

A 3-days training program was inaugurated, such a programme is taking place for the first time in the country.

Total of 23 participants from 9 countries (Bhutan, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, Maldives, Timor Leste and Bangladesh) are participating in this training program.

The objective of the training is to impart skills for laboratory based techniques and methods to maintain the quality of Traditional/herbal products.

As per the Research and Information System Centre for Developing Countries report, the industry is projected to reach US$ 23.3 billion in 2022.

With increasing market, the quality issues of herbal material is also becoming increasingly worrying due to adulteration.

The uniformity in Lab-based Quality Control will be able to evaluate quality of the herbals often altered by various physical, chemical, and geographical aspects.

Quality control measures includes standards for raw herbal material, good practices (including agricultural, cultivation, collection, storage, manufacturing, laboratory, and clinical, etc.).

Specified and uniform licensing schemes for manufacturing, import, export and marketing should be implemented that are pivotal to ensure safety and efficacy.

The growing market is giving the challenge to maintain the proper quality, efficacy and effectiveness of herbal drugs.

This needs to be strengthened through network of laboratory capacity for Quality Control of Traditional/Herbal Products.

This unique program will provide hands-on training on laboratory methods like Macroscopy, Microscopy in pharmacognosy, phytochemistry, Microbiology, other advanced instrument/technologies i.e. High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC), Gas Chromatography etc for quality control of traditional/herbal Products.

Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy:

PCIM&H is an autonomous body under the aegis of Ministry of Ayush, established since 2010.

Pharmacopoeia is an officially recognized book of standards as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules 1945 thereunder.

It specifies the standards of drugs manufactured and marketed in India in terms of their identity, purity and strength.

The Commission is engaged in development of Pharmacopoial Standards for Ayurvedic, Unani, Siddha & Homeopathic drugs.

PCIM&H is also acting as Central Drug Testing cum Appellate Laboratory for Indian systems of Medicine & Homoeopathy.