Safety issues in Indian traditional medicine

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Bhatt, H.A. | Gogtay, N.J. | Dalvi, S.S. | Kshirsagar, N.A.

Affiliations: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, New MS Building, 1st Floor, Seth GS Medical College & KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai (Bombay) 400 012, India Tel.: +91 22 413 3767; Fax: +91 22 414 3435/412 9099; E‐mail: dcpkem@vsnl.com

Abstract: A medical system is called traditional, among others, when it is practiced within the country of its origin. The increasing use of Traditional Medicine (TM) worldwide and the growth of the related pharmaceutical industry has led to an activation of research regarding its quality, efficacy and safety. The Ayurveda and Siddha systems of traditional medicine have their origin in India. Of these, Ayurveda is one of the oldest systems of medicine in the world and the most commonly practiced form of traditional medicine in India. Subjects to be discussed comprise of issues related to herb–drug interactions, misuse of TM, variations in the action of a drug due to natural and deliberated reasons and the documentation of adverse drug reaction. Combined efforts, without any bias, by scholars from both traditional and modern medicine to optimize the risk benefit profile and to serve as guards for optimal use of TM, is the prerequisite for global harmonization.

Journal: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 73-82, 2004