As a follow up to the amendment of good manufacturing practices (GMP) for ASU drugs, the Union Ayush ministry is planning to produce ‘a set of technical personnel’ to ensure the quality and safety of the raw materials selected for the production of drugs and formulations and monitor the technical aspects in the manufacturing side in all the units.
 
As part of the project, the ministry has decided to hold a one-year PG Certificate course through universities in the technical and management aspects of Ayush drug manufacturing. Viewed as an in-plant training course, the ministry will give full support and financial aid to the institutions conducting the course.
 
In Chennai, the course will be conducted at the AU-KBC Research Centre of the Anna University, Chennai. The University has reached agreement with the Ayush drug manufacturers in Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Kerala for the practical training of the course. As part of it, the Tamil Nadu Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani Drugs Manufacturers Association (TASUDMA) and the Kerala based Ayurvedic Medicine Manufacturers Organisation of India (AMMOI) have jointly signed an MoU with the AU-KBC Research Centre of the Anna University to provide in-plant training in the technical and management areas of the drug production.
 
The training programme will be in the form of an academic certificate course of one year duration with specification on ‘Technology and Management for Ayush Pharmaceutical industry, sources informed. Students with BAMS, BSMS, BUMS and B Sc in chemical or biological sciences and BE in biotechnology are eligible to join the certificate course.
 
According to sources, the certificate course will have a modular structure, consisting of 5 modules such as Product Development, GMP in Ayush industry, Testing and QA in Ayush drug manufacturing, Production Technology and Management for Ayush, and Standards & Regulatory aspects of Ayush industry. Each module will be of 8 weeks duration on full time basis and will have both theory and practice.
 
Vijay Mehta, managing director of Retort Pharma and the president of TASUDMA said the Ayush drug manufacturing units in the state will provide all the facilities to the student graduates for the perfect conduct of the course. Dr. D. Ramanathan, general secretary of AMMOI, said the experienced technical staffs of the leading Ayurveda companies in Kerala will be sent to the AU-KBC Research Centre in Chennai as faculties. He said the in-plant technical training for the Ayush graduates will hugely help them to become full-fledged skilled –personnel for the Ayush pharmaceutical industry.  
 
According to sources from Ayush ministry, there are over 8000 units with licences to manufacture Ayush drugs and formulations in India. All of them are in need of skilled personnel specially trained for carrying out the different operations involved in the manufacturing sector. The trained personnel should inspect the incoming raw materials, execute the different stages in the production process, testing & quality analysis, packaging, production development, compliance with Indian and global standards etc.
 
Classes for the certificate course will be held at the AU-KBC Research Centre of Anna University (K B Chandrasekhar Research Centre) at Cromepet in Chennai.