Comprehensive News & Analysis

30-10-2020 | 11:06 AM

Regional Raw Drug Repository (RRDR)

Context
On October 23, the Regional Raw Drug Repository (RRDR) of National Medicinal Plants Board was inaugurated by the Union Minister for AYUSH at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi.

Highlights

• The National Raw Drug Repository (RRDR) was inaugurated at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in New Delhi, via virtual function.
• This Regional Raw Drug Repository is the 2^nd in the series of repositories proposed by the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH and will be dedicated to the Trans-Ganga Plain Region as this region has tremendous potential for medicinal raw materials.
  • RRDR for Trans- Ganga Plain Region covers 4 states including: Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Punjab.
• This RRDR will play a stellar role in collection, documentation, and authentication of raw drugs collected largely from the respective agro-climatic regions.
• In 2016, the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) took the initiative to establish a National Raw Drug Repository (NRDR) and Regional Raw Drug Repositories (RRDR) with regard to raw drugs used in ASU&H systems of medicine.
• 8 National Raw Drug Repository (RRDR) and one National Raw Drug Repository (NRDR) have been suggested by the Ministry of AYUSH to document the diversity in the genetics and chemistry of medicinal plants, out of which 3 Regional Raw Drug Repositories are ready.
• RRDRs activities and tasks include:
  • Collection, compilation, cataloguing of raw drugs and documentation (which also includes digitization) on the information of raw drugs used in the traditional systems of medicine.
  • Collection of plants and raw drug samples and also preserving those specimens.
  • Having a digital database of plants.
  • To provide the needy with standard, genuine and authenticated reference samples of raw drugs.
  • Testing raw drugs for pesticide residues, aflatoxins, heavy metals and microbial load to international standard or any other as per requirement.

Why do we need repositories?

Across the globe, the demand for natural healing and herbal products has increased and This demand has been further enhanced amid the COVID situation. Many herbs have become people’s priority such as Asvagandha, Giloi, Mulethi, Tulsi, Kalmegh etc. Thus, establishment of the Raw Drug Repositories becomes essential in order to ensure supply of quality raw material to the AYUSH industry as well as consumers amid the increasing demand.

Objectives of the RRDRs

• Acting as a collection centre of raw drugs available and used in each area.
• Acting as an accredited reference library for the authentication of raw drugs.
• To establish standard protocols and keys for the authentication of raw drugs used in the herbal industries.
• Act as an educational centre for disseminating general awareness about the usefulness of raw drugs.

National AYUSH Mission

The National AYUSH Mission was launched with the goal of promoting AYUSH medical systems, strengthen educational systems, envisage flexibility of implementation of programmes and facilitate enforcement of quality of Sidha, Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy drugs.

During the 12th Five Year Plan, it was launched. The National AYUSH Mission has approved the AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres. In March 2020, the Union Cabinet approved the continuation of the National AYUSH mission. The goal of the mission is to upgrade and increase the number of AYUSH educational institutions. The mission also aims to provide better access to AYUSH services through AYUSH dispensaries and hospital coverage.