Apart from adulteration, ayurvedic drugs are also being copied or substituted for popular brands, according to G Dharma Dhatha, assistant director, Drug Control Administration (DCA), Andhra Pradesh. Absence of proper standardization and documentation of ayurvedic drugs is leading to manufacture of several spurious and substandard drugs in many parts of the country.

In the absence of standardization, these herbal drugs are prepared from the parts of plants like leaves, root bark, flowers etc, which are prone to deterioration and variation in strengths, he added.

Recent raids by DCA have unearthed several cases of spurious ayurvedic drugs in the state. These drugs were found to contain potent allopathic drugs to yield immediate relief. DCA has seized spurious drugs from various manufacturers in the state such as Fizikan Laboratories, Unibiotech, and Janta Ayurvedic Aushadhi Pratisthan.

Codification of standards with well-defined procedures is to be established and incorporated in the ayurvedic pharmacopoeia. A strong regulatory mechanism is very much needed to improve the situation. Severe punishment should be given for manufacture or sale of spurious ayurvedic drugs. Even manufacturers of ayurvedic drugs should be careful and check the duplication of their products, he added.