An agreement has been signed to enable inter-ministerial cooperation for promotion and facilitation of One Herb, One Standard
With a goal towards achieving the One Herb One Standard, significant measures have been initiated by the Union Ministry of Ayush. In this regard a memorandum of understanding has been inked between the Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy, which functions under the Ayush Ministry, and the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, operating under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The target lined up concerns the setting up on an inter-ministerial cooperation for promotion and facilitation of One Herb, One Standard.
The primary objective of the agreement is the development of cooperative efforts between Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy and the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission in their efforts towards promoting public health through the facilitation of the development of harmonized herbal drug standards. As both the organisations currently work towards a common cause, the Ayush Ministry considers that it only be logical and meaningful if it is able to harmonize the standards to achieve One Herb, One Standard concept.
The MoU signed by Prof (Vaidya) P. K. Prajapati, Director In-Charge, Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy, and Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Secretary-cum-Scientific Director, in the presence of Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, is expected to push forward the collaboration towards promoting exchange of information in the area of standardization of traditional medicine by sharing of scientific information and drug raw materials and extracts, seminars, workshops, training and brainstorming programs.
Publication of monographs under One Herb One Standard
The Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy will now be the sole authority of publication of monographs categorized under the One Herb One Standard. Going by the MoU, the monographs developed by Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy and the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission will be identified accordingly and the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission’s contribution in the respective monographs shall be recognized at the appropriate place.
The technical content of the monographs will be jointly developed by both the organisations. Further, these monographs will have same legal sanctity as published in ASU&H pharmacopoeia and IP, a Ministry of Ayush statement stated.
As per the Ayush Ministry, the harmonisation of standards will lead to the fulfilment of the objective of One Herb, One Standard and One Nation, and thereby enhance ease of doing business in India and also improve overall trade of Indian botanicals.
Publication of monographs to make them beneficial to all
It is also expected that the agreement will enable the publication of monographs so as to be beneficial to all. Besides, the MoU calls for the setting up of a joint committee for the selection of medicinal plants and their constituent markers for carrying out other related technical work.
It will also helpful in bringing about an opportunity to all stakeholders, comprising manufacturers, researchers and regulators in herbal medicine, to get world class monographs to be used in their respective areas. The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission will also find the pact helpful in pursuing deeper research in the area of herbal medicine, particularly in quality domain and contribute towards public health.
