(a) whether the Government has recently established a separate Department of Ayurvedic, Homoeopathic and other alternative medicines;
(b) if so, whether Ayurvedic medicines can be sold through retail chemists shops but restrictions have been placed on similar distribution of Homoeopathic remedies; and
(c) if so, the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government for the easy availability of Homoeopathic remedies through chemists` shops?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE( SMT. PANABAKA LAKSHMI)
(a): The Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy (ISM&H) established in the year 1995 by the Government of India was renamed as the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) in November, 2003.
(b): Under the existing legal provisions, no licence is required for retail sale of Ayurveda drugs. The Homoeopathic medicines are sold through license as per provisions under Rule-67-C of Drugs & Cosmetics Rules.
(c): The Government has amended Schedule-K to the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules to grant certain exemptions for sale of some of the commonly used Homoeopathic drugs.