Karnataka Govt Merges AYUSH Drug Department with State FDA

The Government of Karnataka has issued a formal notification to merge the AYUSH Drug Licensing Authority, Drug Enforcement Division, and Drug Testing Laboratories in the State Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Drug Administration Division. The move is strategic in consolidating all regulation of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH) with conventional medicine under one roof.

This consolidation places Karnataka in the same line as other states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, and Kerala, which already have consolidated their AYUSH divisions under their respective FDA bodies. The aim is to streamline regulatory control, improve compliance, and achieve uniformity in drug manufacturing, licensing, and dispensing.

Through the merger of such functions, the government aims to do away with bureaucratic redundancy, speed up licensing and renewals, and improve enforcement. Rather than depending on AYUSH's sparse testing laboratories, quality control will be handled through the FDA's NABL-certified labs in Bengaluru, Hubballi, and Belagavi.

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The integrated scheme is likely to improve efficiency, accountability, and transparency in drug administration. It also maximizes quality testing, with the intent to address earlier issues of poor regulation and intra-state variation in AYUSH drug quality. An expanded web of laboratories and standardized testing procedures will reduce the risk of spurious or sub-standard AYUSH drugs.

Secondly, the government made it clear that government analysts appointed under Section 33F of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act should be qualified under Rule 44 or possess degrees in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, or Homeopathy.

This amalgamation is a major step towards centralizing the regulation of drugs, promoting consumer protection, and increasing the export value of traditional medicines.