Ayush industry is apprehensive about the silence of the Scientific Group of Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia Committee (APC) which was constituted as part of Pharmacopoeia Commission of Indian Medicines (PCIM), as an autonomous body but not met for more than six months.

Some of the experts are questioning whether the Department of Ayush, Ministry of Health is re-thinking about the autonomous status given to APC which although was a right thing to do, and had started working under the three Scientific Committees (one each for Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha).

Government of India after careful thinking had approved formation of PCIM where it decided that the quality standards for ayurvedic products are decided by scientists with necessary expertise and not by bureaucrats or administrators in the Ministry of Health. Thus PCIM had been constituted and notified with a chairman and separate scientific committees for Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani who were given the task of developing reviewing and publishing quality standards for raw materials and products of these systems and to expedite this processes. However the working of these scientific bodies seems to have been put on hold for reasons best known to the Secretary of the Department of Aysuh, These committees have stopped meeting suddenly since almost six months, stated sources.

According to JSD Pani, president, Karnataka Indian Medicine Manufacturers Association (KIMMA), “The PCIM currently has no fresh agenda on the cards. There is need to work on novel drugs and identify newer herbs. Probably, once developments on this front  begin to crystallize, it would be time for them to meet.”

However, the industry is wondering whether there is a re-thinking on PCIM and its functioning.

“The Department of Ayush has just now got a new Secretary Sh. Nilanjan Sanyal, and we hope that he would look into this urgently and restore autonomous way of working to the PCIM and its scientific committees,” said Dr DBA Narayana, pharma consultant.

“The autonomous way of working of the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC)which sets standards for drugs, vaccines, biologicals, anti-AIDS anti cancer drugs etc., through its scientific body, has demonstrated its efficiency. It has released several editions with newer monographs added, on similar lines to all pharmacopoeias worldwide.

Dr Baidyanath Mishra, vice president, product development, Regulatory and Medical Affairs, The Katra Group part of the Aluva-based Kerala Ayurveda Limited, said that the PCIM is indispensable and going by its task on hand covering from standardization of Ayurveda, Siddha & Unani medicines, to promote awareness of quality control and updating its pharmacopoeia, we see no reason for not calling for meetings at regular intervals.

In fact, the PCIM also has the onus to emphasize on limiting undesirable impurities in bulk drugs and formulations than merely ensuring minimum standards of purity. “There is fast progress in evolution of sophisticated methods of analysis. Such rapid developments should be reflected in successive editions of Pharmacopoeia which must be brought out more frequently than it is done at present,” pointed out Dr Mishra.

It is also important that if there is a review going on about the  working of PCIM, there is need to ensure delegating roles to officials to develop quality monographs. Besides there should be steps to ensure adequate access to both qualified staff and funds which would allow its smooth functioning, said experts.