The Department of Ayush has clarified that the decision to allow purchase of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs from the central or the state public sector undertaking and co-operative pharmacies is restricted only to centrally sponsored schemes for the development of Ayush hospitals and dispensaries for the mainstreaming of Ayush under the NRHM.

In a letter addressed to Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturers' Association (ADMA), it has said that for the procurement of drugs or medicines other than the above mentioned schemes, the state governments are free to follow their own procedures.

This was informed by the Department to ADMA after a representation was made by them to the Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to amend the drug procurement policy of Ayurveda, Siddha & Unnani (ASU) drugs for National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to include private sectors which is now restricted only to the public sector units.

ADMA and other Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani (ASU) industry associations had sought the minister's intervention in the matter in amending the policy guidelines so that equal opportunity can be provided for all in the industry.

The Ayush letter clearly mentions that the demand made by the industry to include private sectors under the NRHM scheme cannot be considered since under the present policy, procurement of medicines for the NRHM or other public health schemes can only be done from PSU undertakings. NRHM focuses on additional supply of generic drugs for common ailments at sub-centre/PHC/CHC levels which also include Ayush formulations. The Mission seeks to revitalise local health traditions and mainstream Ayush infrastructure, including manpower, and drugs, to strengthen the public health system at all levels.

At present the state agencies are procuring ASU drugs only from PSUs like TAMPCOL, Oushadhi, Indian Medicines Pharmaceutical Corporation Ltd. (IMPCL), etc. ADMA had claimed in the letter that this is done so by the state on the insistence of department of Ayush for ensuring quality of medicines. However the letter by the ministry clarifies that this restriction is only to centrally sponsored schemes and that the state governments are free to follow their own procedures for the procurement of drugs or medicines other than the above mentioned schemes.