Abstract

Six to seven Traditional Health Care Systems are available to people in India legally.  Over the counter(OTC) drugs and self-medicationare  in regular use often with a belief of safety. Hence it becomes more important to study the extent of usage of traditional Ayurvedic medicines through Drug utilization under Ayurvedic Pharmacoepidemiology (AyPE).

WHO estimates that 80 % of the world's population, presently use traditional medicines (TM) for primary healthcare. In India, traditional medicines and therapeutics are in practice atAyurveda teaching institutes, attached hospitals and dispensaries. Marketed Ayurvedic medicines are available to patients asprescribed and as OTC products. Theirsafety and efficacy have been studied by several preclinical and clinical studies; however we need to properly evaluate safety and efficacy of Ayurvedic drug. AyPE is the discipline that studies the usage, acceptability, efficacy, complementarity and cost-effectiveness of Ayurvedic drugs in a large number of people.  

AyPE has evolved as a discipline In response to increasing domestic turnover of traditional medicines in India, increased publication regarding usage of CAM  in  country  and outside as well as  alarming headlines about heavy metal content, now and is serving  as the major resource for Reverse Pharmacology. Modest beginning has already been made for application of AyPE in diabetes and arthritis.  

Marketed Ayurvedic formulations for diabetes and Arthritishave been studied for their labels, patient information and branding. Drug utilization studies have been conducted in Ayurvedic and Conventional Teaching Institutes as well as in Swadeshi Arogya Melafor both the conditions. Selected medicinal plants are studied under CSIR NMITLI Diabetes and ArthitisProjects and resulted in drug candidates. Retrospective study of clinical case records in diabetes has been planned.  

AyPE will have to pool expertise of Ayurvedic Physicians, clinical pharmacologists and epidemiologists.  AyPE Studies demand training of interested Ayurvedic physicians for dual/triple competence by multidisciplinary faculty team. The current paper will highlight and discuss some of the methods and outcome of the AyPE studies undertaken.