The government has implemented various regulatory measures and schemes to enhance the quality assurance and regulatory compliance of Ayush drugs, including those sold on e-commerce platforms. The Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940, and Drugs Rules, 1945 have specific regulatory provisions for Ayurvedic, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, Unani, and Homoeopathy drugs, mandating manufacturers to meet licensing conditions for production, as mentioned by MoS Ayush Prataprao Jadhav in Rajya Sabha.
State or UT Drug Inspectors routinely collect medicine samples from manufacturing firms and retail outlets for quality testing at Drug Testing Laboratories. Any samples found to be substandard may face legal consequences under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and its associated regulations. To ensure the safety and quality of Ayush drugs, an Ayush vertical has been established within the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).
The Quality Council of India operates a Quality Certifications Scheme that awards Ayush Standard and Ayush Premium marks following third-party evaluations. Additionally, the Ministry of Ayush administers the Ayush Oushadhi Gunavatta Evam Uttpadan Samvardhan Yojana (AOGUSY) to promote standardization, quality manufacturing, analytical testing, regulatory framework enhancement, safety monitoring, and surveillance of misleading advertisements.
Under this scheme, support is provided to manufacturers and MSMEs to upgrade pharmacies and drug testing laboratories to meet WHO-GMP and NABL standards. The Ministry has also introduced the Ayush Suraksha Portal for real-time reporting and monitoring of misleading advertisements and suspected adverse drug reactions. The All India Institute of Ayurveda has been assigned the role of issuing notices to digital intermediaries regarding misleading advertisements related to Ayush drugs.
E-commerce platforms have been instructed to allow the sale of Ayush drugs only upon the user’s submission of a valid prescription from a registered Ayurveda, Siddha, or Unani medical practitioner. Moreover, Research Councils and National Institutes under the ministry disseminate evidence-based information on Ayush products and systems through various channels such as Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities, publications, outreach programs, and digital platforms.
