Pharmacovigilance
Central Sector Scheme of Pharmacovigilance of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy Drugs
The Ministry of Ayush has introduced a new Central Sector scheme for promoting pharmacovigilance of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Homeopathy (ASU&H) Drugs. The prime objective of the scheme is to develop a culture of documenting adverse effects and undertake safety monitoring of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Homeopathy drugs and surveillance of misleading advertisements appearing in the print and electronic media.
The scheme intends to facilitate the establishment of a three-tier network of National Pharmacovigilance Centre (NPvCC), Intermediary Pharmacovigilance Centres (IPvCCs) and Peripheral Pharmacovigilance Centres (PPvCCs). All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi, has been designated as National Pharmacovigilance Centre. As on date, Five Intermediary and 99 peripheral Centers are functioning.
The common myth regarding herbal medicines is that these medicines are completely safe and can therefore be safely consumed by the patient on his/her own, without a physician’s prescription. This belief has led to large-scale self-medication by people all over the world, often leading to disappointing end results, side effects, or unwanted aftereffects. Hence, AYUSH practitioners and consumers now need to be vigilant about the safety monitoring of drugs in the interest of Public Health.
The pharmacovigilance initiative will facilitate the detection of potentially unsafe ASU&H medicines and misleading advertisements for taking regulatory action against them. The Standing Finance Committee (SC) chaired by Secretary (AYUSH) approved the scheme on November 1, 2017 and subsequently, it was rolled out for implementation in the country near the end of the financial year 2017-18.
For any further queries and reporting of ADR or misleading advertisements:
Contact Us
The Coordinator, National Pharmacovigilance Centre
All India Institute of Ayurveda, SaritaVihar,
New Delhi – 110 076
Email: pharmacovigilanceayush@gmail.com