PHARMACOVIGILANCE AND AYURVEDA

INTRODUCTION Ayurveda as a science has a vast history of research and development. The holistic approach of this ancient science envisions prevention of disease by virtue of its basic principles of healthy life style management, dietary intake and the uniqueness of keeping in view the individual’s physiology and mental state during treatment. A lot has been said and discussed about the effectiveness of one drug or the other in a wide spectrum of therapeutics but concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of these drugs have always been on the back seat. In the age of modern technology, scientific advancements, consumer awareness and the advent of evidence based medicine, there is very sparse evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of Ayurveda drugs, except that this system is in practice since hundreds of years and there is rarely any adverse effect reported. Some time back serious concerns were raised in relation to Ayurveda drugs that they contained heavy metals and were a threat to life. It was only after that study, the authorities in India initiated some concrete steps to regulate the drug industry more effectively.