Complaint filed against Oushadhi advertisement

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health activists have come out against Oushadhi, the state-owned ayurvedic drug manufacturer, for advertising its products in violation of law. The website of drug manufacturer has shown that ‘Panchagavya Ghrutham’, a product made with cow dung and urine as main ingredients, is indicated for mental diseases, improving memory power and concentration, jaundice, fever and epilepsy. However the mental diseases (diseases and disorders of brain), fever and epilepsy are among 54 diseases that should not be advertised as per Drugs and Magical Remedies Act 1954, Section D.

“We have given a petition to the principal health secretary pointing out the rule violation. The details on the website are for everyone to see and share. So it should be treated as an advertisement that misleads public as per DMR Act and suitable action should be taken against it,” said Campaign Against Pseudo Science Using Law and Ethics (CAPSULE) chairman Dr U Nandakumar Nair and convenor M P Anilkumar.

According to CAPSULE, the description on the website is in violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 (Labelling and packing of drugs other than homeopathic medicines), Section 106. As per law no medicines should have descriptions indicating it for epileptic -fits and psychiatric disorders, increase in brain capacity and improvement of memory, jaundice/ hepatitis/ liver disorders etc.