One Herb, One Standard: MoU Signed between PCIM&H and IPC

The primary objective of this MoU is the development of cooperative efforts between PCIM&H and IPC to promote public health by facilitating the development of harmonized Herbal drug standards.

Table of Contents

One Herb, One Standard- Relevance for UPSC Exam

GS Paper 2: Governance, Administration and Challenges
- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

One Herb, One Standard in News

Recently, Ministry of Ayush has taken a significant step for Inter-Ministerial cooperation for promotion and facilitation of “One Herb, One Standard”.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy (Ministry of Ayush) and Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (Ministry of Health & Family Welfare).

One Herb, One Standard- MoU between PCIM&H and IPC

Key Objectives: The primary objective of this MoU is the development of cooperative efforts between PCIM&H and IPC to promote public health by facilitating the development of harmonized Herbal drug standards.
- Since both PCIM&H and IPC are working with the common cause, it is logical and meaningful to harmonize the standards to achieve “One Herb – One Standard”.
Significance: This MoU will further facilitate collaboration for promoting exchange of information in the area of standardization of Traditional medicine by sharing of scientific information and drug raw materials/extracts, seminars, workshops, training and brainstorming programs.
- The harmonization of standards will fulfill the objective of “One Herb, One Standard and One Nation” and improve ease of doing business in India and also improve overall trade of Indian botanicals.
- It will prove a significant step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat as promoted by Prime Minister of India.
- MoU will enable publication of monographs, which will be beneficial to everyone.
- A joint committee will be constituted for the selection of medicinal plants and their constituent marker/s for carrying out other related technical work.
- MoU is going to provide an opportunity to all stakeholders like manufacturers, researchers and regulators in herbal medicine to get world class monographs to be used in their respective areas.

Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H)

About: The Commission was initially established as Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine (PCIM) in 2010 and was registered under Societies Registration Act, 1860 later in the same year.
Parent Ministry: Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) functions as a sub-ordinate office under Ministry of AYUSH.
Formation of PCIM&H: It is created by merging Pharmacopoeia Commission of Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) and the two central laboratories namely-
- Pharmacopoeia Laboratory for Indian Medicine (PLIM), Ghaziabad and
- Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia Laboratory (HPL)
Key Functions:
- The Commission is engaged in development of Pharmacopoial Standards for Ayurvedic, Unani, Siddha & Homoeopathic drugs.
- PCIM&H is also acting as Central Drug Testing cum Appellate Laboratory for Indian systems of Medicine & Homoeopathy.

Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine- Key Objectives

Quality standards
- To develop Pharmacopoeias for drugs/formulations of ‘Indian Medicine’ and ‘Homoeopathy’
- To develop Formularies of ‘Indian Medicine’
- To revise/update/amend the published Pharmacopoeias and Formularies as may be deemed necessary
- To publish compendia supplementary to Pharmacopoeias/Formularies of ‘Indian Medicine’ and ‘Homoeopathy’ and other related scientific/regulatory information pertaining to functional area of PCIM&H
Apex Laboratory
- To act as Central Drug Testing cum Appellate Laboratory for ‘Indian Medicine’ and ‘Homoeopathy’
- To impart Capacity Building Training to Drug Regulatory Authorities and personnel engaged in Quality Control pertaining to ‘Indian Medicine’ and ‘Homoeopathy’
- To nurture and promote awareness on Quality assurance of drugs/formulations of ‘Indian Medicine’ and ‘Homoeopathy’ and drug research
Repositories of authentic reference materials
- To maintain an authentic Reference Raw Materials (RRM) Repository of raw materials used in ‘Indian Medicine’ and ‘Homoeopathy’
- To maintain an authentic Reference Chemical Markers (RCM) Repository of chemical moieties with established therapeutic significance for drugs/formulations of ‘Indian Medicine’ and ‘Homoeopathy’
Miscellaneous
- To exercise any activity so as to propagate/promote/improvise implementation/ enforcement of provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules thereunder as well as other laws/schemes/programmes of ‘Government’, relevant to functional area of PCIM&H.