It's shocking, but true. Hundreds of popular ayurvedic,
homoeopathic and Unani medicines, which have been declared as either
"unfit for human consumption", or have otherwise failed to pass
essential quality tests for becoming eligible to be exported, are being freely
sold in medical stores in Delhi and elsewhere.
Even more shockingly, these drugs
have been certified unsafe by a government testing lab. But the Delhi
government authority responsible for ensuring compliance with the rules on the
part of manufacturers and sellers - the drug control department - professes to
be unaware of the practice! "We have no information of such a practice. We
will look into the matter seriously," said Ravi Kant, drug controller of
Delhi AYUSH (ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and homoeopathy), department of the
ministry of health and family welfare.
Nevertheless, scores of such
formulations, which have failed to meet the export quality test, are doing
brisk business in Delhi drugstores.
According to documents available,
over 100 medicines failed to pass quality tests due to "substandard"
quality, presence of heavy metals, or prohibited drugs and/or prescription
allopathic drugs in alleged "herbal" medicines, are all being openly
sold in the market.
Such prohibited content can have
adverse and serious effects on the human body on consumption, health experts
confirmed.
For instance, 'Missile Power'
capsules and 'Xtra Power' capsules, tested at the government of India's
Pharmacopoeial Laboratory for Indian Medicine in Ghaziabad, were found to
contain Sildenafil Citrate, the chemical in prescription drug Viagra.
This is not allowed in Ayurveda
products, but both were found to be readily available in medical stores visited
by this correspondent.These capsules are consumed for enhancing sexual
performance.
Even drugs meant for children were
not spared. 'N Tone' syrup (a paediatric tonic for newborns) manufactured by On
Ayurvedics, when tested, was found unfit for human consumption as it contained
suspended particles.
The tonic is easily available on the
internet and in homeopathic stores.
'Mrit Sanjivani Sura', medicinal
syrup manufactured by Dabur India Limited, was found exceeding the legal limit
of alcohol content, 16 per cent. The tested sample was found to contain 20.56
per cent alcohol.
Samples from other manufacturers of
the same syrup, namely Leo Pharma and Rajan Ayurvedics, also failed to pass
alcohol limit test. Woodland's medicated Gripe Water, manufactured by Tilak
Pharmaceuticals Delhi, which claims to have 'soya seed', failed as there were
no soya seeds in it.
While some like ' Panchskar churna'
by Sahay Ayurvedic Pharma, failed as the composition and ingredients were not
mentioned on the label, others like 'Doctor's Pudin Hara', manufactured by
Bandish Chemicals, and Zinzoxin and Fenu Green by Bajaj Herbocare, failed
because of prohibited substances, like Methanol, in them.
'Brahmi Vati' by Universal
Medicaments, failed as it contained prohibited concentrations of heavy metals.
The popular ayurveda medicine 'Rasayan Vati' was found to have exceeded the
limit for Cadmium.
'Metascab' ointment was found
exceeding limits of Lead and Arsenic, while Debbix tablets were found exceeding
limits of lead and cadmium.
Homeopathic medicines Elixir Vita 8
manufactured by Welmans's Homeopathy Delhi and Gastrocin which are used in
gastric disturbances, was found to contain alcohol in excess of permissible
limits. Alfalfa Q for tiredness and fatigue also failed in alcohol content.
Many homeopathic drugs were found in contravention of the Drugs and Magic
Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954, like Gro-T Tablet by Holistic
Remedies, Bio force AG and Heightex.
According to the act, treatment for
certain diseases cannot be offered through advertisements. These drugs were
found claiming to offer treatment by mere consumption of these drugs. The
authorities only appear to be concerned about preventing such medicines from
being exported, since overseas health regulations do not permit such
formulations.
"We have strictly issued a circular
that herbal medicines found with heavy metals would not be exported to other
countries. There is no regulation to curb the practice in India. Other
countries refused to accept the India-made Ayurveda medicines with
metals," said a senior official with the department of drug controls for
alternative medicine, AYUSH. The government has fixed the permissible limits of
heavy metals in ayurveda and Unani medicines with only herbal ingredients,
which are in line with World Health Organisation and US Food and Drugs
Administration norms. These limits are 10 parts per million (ppm) for lead,
0.030 ppm for cadmium, 3.0 ppm for arsenic and 1 ppm for mercury.
The Centre, vide its order dated
October 14, 2005, has made testing for heavy metals, namely arsenic, lead,
mercury and cadmium, mandatory for export purposes in respect of every batch of
purely herbal ayurveda, Siddha and Unani medicines by every licensee.
In view of the regulatory
requirements of the importing country, the manufacturer is supposed to submit
batch- wise testing reports from approved laboratories certifying that the
medicines contains heavy metals within permissible limits.
Only after obtaining the certificate
can manufacturers export these medicines to other countries. These tests
reports were revealed in an RTI reply to Ramesh Verma an RTI activist.
"Someone informed me about this rampant practice. I wanted to expose these
manufactures so, I filed the RTI," said Verma.
"Drugs that attract the magic
remedies acts are mostly the drugs that claim to increase masculine power.
These are easily available in the market and are fooling people.
Published in India today
May 30 2011,
by
Akshaya Srikanth
