Traditional Ayurveda vs. Modern Allopathy: Challenges in Medicine Safety and Supply

Addressing key issues in India’s allopathic medicine system, including banned drugs, price violations, shortages, and online delivery risks.

India’s healthcare faces rising challenges in allopathic medicine—from illegal price hikes to shortages and unregulated online delivery, demanding urgent reforms and awareness.

President Droupadi Murmu addressing at Gopabandhu Ayurveda college 75th Foundation Day ceremony shared about the traditional system of ayurveda. However the fact remains that the maximum percentage of the Indian population depends upon the broader, modern mode of medicine: allopathy.

Allopathic medicines have forever been at the center of several controversies. Recent happenings underlying the need of awareness among the citizens to stay safe and healthy.

Under the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization(CDSCO) which is the National Regulatory Authority(NRA) working under the Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India keeps the account of the list of banned medicines in India. The list includes FDC(Fixed-Dose combinations) i.e. the cocktail drugs combining more than one drug in a single pill. In August 156 drugs were banned incorporating painkillers, antibiotics, multivitamins.

Awareness is the only method to hinder the further buying of these drugs in case the sales are not stopped until the intervention of administration.

In Nov, the Drugs Central Administration(DCA) conducted a raid on a multi-speciality hospital in Malakpet, Telangana where the medicines are sold more than the MRPs. Selling of products above MRP is illegal as per the Consumer Goods Act, 2006. If it is practiced on the life-saving drugs the offence is more serious and the damage sometimes irreparable. This is not the case of Malaket instead several times the happenings go unreported.

The scarcity of medicines is another huge challenge. Karnataka’s government hospitals are facing a shortage of vital drugs. The patients with unenough resources have to face hard times to buy them from private pharmacies. They are the worst sufferers in the wake of such a serious crisis.

On 5th Dec, in Rajya Sabha Zero Hour an issue was raised by DMK MP Dr Kanimozhi NV N Somu. She pressed on the steps to be taken by the union government to prohibit the medicine supply through the quick online delivery system. Swiggy through its sister company Instamart has collaborated with e-pharmacy and medical stores PharmEasy.

The MP shared PharmEasy has been under regulatory investigation of All Indian Origin Chemists & Distributors Ltd.(AIOCD Ltd.) in the past. She shared how this quick delivery structure might forward the sale of the expired or counterfeit drugs made available by dark stores. The protocols for medicine distribution and supply in India require prescription verification and patient identification, to avoid any future health complication.

This ultra-fast delivery method may result in various compromises at different stages beginning from absence of the involvement of a legal medical practitioner prescribing the medicines to attainment of legal and safe drugs.

Thus, allopathic medicine set-up is under constant threats by various unprecedented manners. Mindfulness has a major role to find a way through the predicament.