The Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy Pharmacy Central Council Bill, 2015, to bring about uniformity and standardisation in education and practice of pharmacy of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy, is under the active consideration of the central government.

Allaying apprehensions that the bill has become redundant in the wake of the proposed National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER), Union minister of state for Ayush Shripad Yesso Naik, in reply to a question in Lok Sabha recently, said that The Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy Pharmacy Central Council Bill, 2015 is under consideration of the government.

The bill will create a regulatory body called the Central Pharmacy Council of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy for maintenance of central register of pharmacists of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy and for matters connected therewith and to bring about uniformity and standardisation in education and practice of pharmacy of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy.

There is no regulatory provision under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Rules thereunder for issue of license for the sale of ayurvedic medicines.

The history of The Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy Pharmacy Council Bill, dates back to 2005 when it was introduced in Parliament. The bill was aimed to regulate education and practice of pharmacists in Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ayush), as there was no standardisation and uniform education system of curriculum available for training pharmacists in the sector. The Standing Committee attached to the health ministry examined and submitted the report in July 2006, but it has been pending ever since.

Finally the bill was revised by the Ayush department, as per the recommendations of the Standing Committee, and was sent to the ministry of law and justice for vetting. The bill was cleared by the law ministry and was ready for submission to the cabinet for final clearance, but there was an argument that the proposal of NCHER will make it totally irrelevant.