Karnataka Indian Medicine Manufacturers' Association (KIMMA) insists that procuring authorities of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the supplies from the Government Central Pharmacy should have the reports of batch wise analysis of the Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) drugs from the approved Drug Testing Laboratory.

The insistence from KIMMA follows the recent order from the Union government demanding the quality test report form the suppliers of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy drugs and ensure compliance of the instructions with immediate effect.

According to the Union government, going by the increasing number of drug test lab network across the country, which includes state drug test lab, approved labs and NABL(National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accredited labs, springing up in the country, there is absolutely no reason why any Ayush drug purchase organizations cannot procure the medicines with a batch wise quality testing report from an approved lab.

Further, the order also states that Ayush healthcare centres can only procure drugs if it is accompanied with the batch wise quality analysis from an approved lab.

So long the procurers of Ayush drugs have been accepting the drugs based on organoleptic basis and the practice still continues, stated the Union government order. Now the government is pressing for the analytical report based on the pharmacopoeia standards based on the World Health Organization and Indian Pharmacopoeia permissible limit for heavy metals, alfa toxins and microbial contamination. In the case of patent and proprietary medicine, each manufacturing company will be expected to enclose a testing protocol for that product along with the analytical report.

Appreciating the Union government's move, JSD Pani, President, Karnataka Indian Medicine Manufacturers' Association said that while the industry needs to take care, it is also important for procurers to ensure that the testing protocol is adhered to.

In order to make certain, that the Union government order is complied to the fullest extent, KIMMA has intimated to the State health and family welfare directorate that it should include the procuring authorities of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). This clause also should be applied to supplies from the Government Central Pharmacy where batch wise quality analysis should be made mandatory, averred Pani.

The Union government has taken the right step because the order will only help the poor patients to get the quality medicines from the Ayush hospitals and dispensaries, he added.