Govt to amend Act to check misleading ads of traditional meds

Government has initiated the process of amending Drugs and Magic Remedies Act for bringing Ayush medicines under its purview so that selling them by making wrong claims and misguiding the public can be checked, Rajya Sabha was informed today.
"The government is in the process of bringing the amended Drugs and Magic Remedy Act. The Law department has already approved it. Medicines sold through such advertisements while misguiding the public should be stopped," Minister of State for Ayush Shripad Yesso Naik said during Question Hour.
To a supplementary that advertisements making unrealistice claims are being used to sell products, he said, "It is true that there are advertisements of medicines making tall claims.

"The complaint is true to an extent. It is the state government that checks this and the Drugs Controller helps states implement the law."
The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 controls advertising of drugs in India and prohibits advertisements of drugs and remedies that claim to have magical properties, and makes doing so a cognizable offence.
The amendments seek to bring the traditional medicine systems like Yoga and Ayurveda under the purview of this law.

To another question on increasing research in Ayush products and marketing them well, the Minister said states are being given funds to promote Ayush products and there are 31 research centres across the country for doing research in new Ayush products.

He added that 97 per cent of the budget for 2015-16 has been spent and government will aim to spend more in Ayush sector.
"Under the National Ayush Mission (NAM), government had earmarked a budget of Rs 318 crore, but has spent Rs 331 crore during 2015-16," he said.
To another question as to why some states were left out, the Minister said states have to send their annual plans and only after that the central funds are provided to them, he said.