The National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB) under the Ministry of Ayush has decided to expedite the implementation of the Voluntary Certification Scheme for Medicinal Plants (VCSMP), a quality control scheme for medicinal plant cultivation based on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Field Collection Practices (GFCP).

A stakeholders’ meeting called by NMPB in New Delhi recently discussed various aspects of the scheme focusing quality of raw drugs and other agricultural produces subjected for medicinal preparations. According to sources from the medicinal plant board, under this scheme a medicinal plant cultivator or group of cultivators or plant collectors can obtain a certificate from the approved Certification Body, which will be constituted by medicinal plant board in each state.

On the lines of the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) introduced in manufacturing facilities, NMPB introduced Good Agricultural Practices and Good Field Collection Practices in the areas of cultivation and collection of medicinal plants in the beginning of 2011. In December in the same year, the medicinal plant board introduced the VCSMP, but it has not worked well even after five years. It is believed that the certification scheme would enhance the confidence in the quality of raw drugs produced in the country and the cultivators will be recognized as accredited producers of medicinal plants.

NMPB is introducing the scheme in collaboration with the Quality Council of India (QCI), the quality facilitation body in the country.

Now by expediting the scheme, the Ministry of Ayush expects that the introduction of VCSMP will encourage good agricultural practices and good field collection practices in medicinal plant cultivation and thereby to increase the quality and safety of the produces. The ministry called the stakeholders meeting because it felt that since the Ayush medicine manufacturers were the stakeholders depending on medicinal plants raw material, their requirements in respect of certified medicinal plants produce or raw material had to be fulfilled for better implementation of the scheme.

While welcoming the decision of NMPB, Dr S G Ramesh Warrior, president of the Ayurveda Medicine Manufacturers Organisation of India (AAMOI), the voluntary certification scheme will help in increasing the credibility of both the Ayush medicinal products and the medicinal plant produces in the country. It will also raise the status of Indian medicines in the domestic as well as foreign markets.

Members representing QCI, Indian Medicine Pharmaceutical Corporation Ltd, Uttarakhand, Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturers Association, Mumbai, Association of  Manufacturers of Ayurvedic Medicines, UP, Ayurveda Medicine Manufacturers Organisation of India, Kerala, Unani Drug Manufacturers Association, New Delhi, Federation of Homoeopathic Drug Manufactures of India, New Delhi, Ayush Drug Manufacturers Association, Rajasthan, Punjab Ayurveda Drug Manufacturers Association, Amritsar and Provincial Ayurveda Drug Manufacturers Association, Lucknow attended the meeting.

There was no representation from any Siddha drug manufacturers association from Tamil Nadu. According to sources, NMPB has not invited any Siddha drug manufacturing association from Tamil Nadu.