AYUSH medicine in more stores, move welcomed by medicos

The move offers impetus to the Government’s efforts to integrate traditional and modern practices of medicine. 

On Friday, in Lok Sabha, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy), Shripad Yesso Naik said that the Ministry was in talks with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provide AYUSH medicines at the 3,000 Government medical stores across the country.

Welcoming the move, city-based practitioners say that move would help promote the practice among a wider group of population. Dr Ashok Kumar, an Ayurveda practitioner, said “When we prescribe some medicines, the patients often find it extremely difficult to source them. Therefore, we must set up a separate pharmacy. If the generic medicine stores can step in, these medicines would be readily available”.

According to the data available AYUSH Ministry website, there are 29,976 registered practitioners. As many as 18,573 are in homeopathy practise, while out of the 662 licensed pharmacies, 323 of them are Ayurveda pharmacies. 

Dr AU Ramakrishnan, a homeopathy specialist, said “It provides wider exposure to AYUSH branches of medicine when all of them are available under one roof, especially for the lower income groups that benefit from these generic medicine stores”, he said. Unani medicine practitioner Dr K Jalaluddin said “We always refer patients for any temporary or emergency cure to allopathy experts, while we promote Unani medicine only for those who need long term treatment like in the case of joint pain, paralysis, etc. Combining the best of both practices can benefit many and it requires a support system with such ready availability of medicines”.

However, there is one problem plaguing the system, the lack of pharmacists in each of the speciality. Dr Ashok says, “In Ayurveda especially, we have a shortage of pharmacists as there are a few courses being offered in B Pharm. Maybe, the qualifications can be relaxed a little to fill in the gaps till the demand can be met through more courses”.

Now, there are about 25 such stores in the state, while there are more in the offing.