Going the ayurveda way

Companies' strategy to advertise safety of ayurvedic medicines driving up sales in city, finds study

One in three Puneites depends on ayurvedic medicines. What's more, 52 per cent of them solely buy these medicines as they are considered to be a safe option with no side effects.

This is what a study conducted by researchers from the All India Shri Shivaji Memorial Society's (AISSMS) College Of Pharmacy in the city has found.

Published in Pharmacognosy Magazine, a medical journal, the results of this study are especially important after MiD DAY reported how a lot of companies are making tall claims of the effectiveness of ayurvedic medicines and fleecing people.

Lead author of the study Dr Neeraj Vyawahare said that about 2,000 people were interviewed at 50 chemist shops across the city to study their medication patterns.

"Mostly it was the advertising of ayurvedic medicines that projected them as safe and motivated people to buy them," said Vyawahare.

The study has also revealed that a large number of people depending on ayurvedic drugs were highly educated.
Around 41 per cent of the surveyed individuals self-medicated and a majority weren't even aware of the composition of the ayurvedic medicines or their adverse reaction.

"The study found that it was necessary to advise people against self-medication and point out the side effects of ayurvedic drugs as against the 100 per cent 'safe' image portrayed by advertising campaigns of ayurvedic drug companies," said Vyawahare.

Vyawahare was assisted by six students of AISSMS who observed during the study that while people were open to use ayurvedic medicines themselves, they didn't trust its efficacy in case of their children. Less than 20 per cent reported having ever used an ayurvedic medicine for their children.

In fact, practitioners of Ayurveda also advise caution against self medication and false notions of safe medicines.

"Of course, ayurvedic drugs are not 100 per cent safe. Every drug will have some side effect and ayurveda is a science, not a miracle cure," said Dr Ambikar Prasad, senior member of the BAMS Graduates Association and ex-president of General Practitioners Association. "People should guard against false advertising campaigns that keep harping on absolute safety of drugs and should only take drugs on doctors' advise as it could prove harmful."