The Ayurveda, Siddha & Unani (ASU) drug manufacturers in the country have appealed to the union consumer affairs ministry to treat them at par with the allopathic medicines on the packaging issue by exempting them from the amendments to the Standards of Weights & Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules 1977.

The amendments to the Standards of Weights & Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules 1977, effected by the union consumer affairs ministry in July 2006, has put the ASU drug manufacturers in the country in a precarious situation as re-training and informing over 9400 manufacturers and thousands of products and packs are proving to be an arduous task. However, the ministry had exempted the allopathic medicines from the purview of the amendment.

Meanwhile, the union health ministry has supported the industry's demand and had made recommendations in industry's favour. But the consumer affairs ministry has so far refused to make any changes in the amendment. In a letter dated October 19, 2007 to the consumer affairs ministry, the Ayush department wrote, 'As per the rules in vogue, the allopathic drugs are exempted from the Standards of Weights & Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules 1977 and clause (e) of the Rule 34 of said Rule. The Ayurveda, Sidha & Unani (ASU) drugs needed to be treated at par with allopathic drugs with the same premise and be exempted from Standards of Weights & Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules 1977".

As per the amendment, the ASU manufacturers have to mention details like the name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, if available, of the person who can be or the office which can be contacted, in case of consumer's complaint on the Medicinal pack label with effect from July 1, 2007, except declaration regarding MRP on every package.

The Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturers' Association (ADMA), which has made several representations to the ministry in this regard, said that the medicines manufactured by the ASU industry are governed by labelling provisions as stated in Rule 161 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules 1945. "All manufacturers have only recently aligned their labels to comply with the provisions stated under Rule 161 and to conduct an exercise of retraining and informing over 9400 manufacturers and thousands of products and packs would be an arduous if not impossible task. Moreover the provisions of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act under Rule 161 provide for almost all disclosures that your amendments require in upholding consumer interest", the ADMA letter said.

ADMA general secretary Ranjit Puranik said that the association has demanded to extend the deadline for compliance of the amendment further as there are reports of surveys and raids by the officials in Maharashtra and Gujarat on ASU industry.