Misleading claims of ASU drugs could attract action: Govt

 

 

 

 

Now, any misleading advertisement or ambiguous statements and unfounded claims printed on the labels of Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani (ASU) drugs would attract punishment under Drugs and Magic Remedies Act, 1954 and Drugs and Cosmetic Rules 1945. This decision was taken by the Union Ministry of AYUSH who issued an advisory to all the State licensing authorities for ASU drugs and all ASU manufacturers directing to prevent misleading advertisement and claims of classical/ shashtriya Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani (ASU) drugs. Dr D C Katoch, Advisor (Ayurveda) and head Drug Policy Section of AYUSH Ministry has mentioned in the advisory as: “Recently certain instances of ambiguous statements and unfounded claims to denigrate classical/shashtriya ASU drugs have been brought to the notice of Central Government, which tantamount to be misleading to the public and appear to be in contravention of the legal provisions for prohibition of advertisement of drugs as well as desist public from consuming such ASU formulations.”

 

“In view this all the ASU drug manufacturers in the country are hereby advised not to make and publicise any inappropriate statement or misleading claim against classical/shashtriya ASU drug and the State/ UT Licensing Authorities/ Drug Controllers may take necessary action on the instance of denigrating classical ASU formulation in terms of its name and use amounted to misleading in nature under the provisions of Drugs and Magic Remedies Act (Objectionable Advertisement), Act, 1954 and Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945,” an advisory stated. Dr P M Ballal, Assistant Commissioner FDA, Nagpur division, said, “The Drugs and Magic Remedies Act, 1954, already covers Ayurvedic medicines as per the definitions like ‘classical’ or ‘shashtriya’. It has been observed that some manufacturers had taken advantage of space and brought to the notice of licensing authorities which tantamount to be misleading to the public and appear to be in contravention of the legal provisions for prohibition of advertisement of drugs as well as desist public from consuming such ASU formulations.”

 

“Especially, during the pandemic when it was not permitted to advertise any product under ASU, patent or proprietary or classical (time tested /Granthokta), some manufacturers started advertising the ASU products with an emphasis on these terms. The misleading claims likes ‘ingredients useful in improving your immunity’, or supplementing this with use of ‘weaker immunity-leads to many diseases including viral attacks’ etc. These claims may have boosted the calculated use of medicines in Covid which stands as misleading use. As suggestive use is prohibited under Drugs and Magic Remedies Act, 1954, the Ministry of AYUSH felt to release the advisory,” Dr Ballal stated.