Abstract

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES TO DEVELOP POLYHERBAL FORMULATIONS IN INDIA - A SWOT STUDY

Wasim Raza Ali Khan*, Mayur Chaurey, Dr. Vimal Kumar and Dr. Gajanand Engla

ABSTRACT

Herbal medicines and their formulations have been widely used in both developed and developing countries for thousands of years. Herbal medicine is a compilation of the medical experience of generations of doctors working in traditional medicine systems over centuries. Furthermore, healthcare professionals have a high demand for herbal medicines in many developed nations because of their efficiency, safety, and lack of side effects. India resides in a goldmine of well-documented knowledge and well-practiced knowledge of traditional medicine. Indian healing systems, namely Siddha, Ayurveda, and Unani, combine mainly herbal medicine with herbal-mineral formulations. Herbal preparations are either herbal or a group of herbs in a mixed recipe. This may be the main reason why quality control in Oriental medicine is more difficult than in allopathic or modern medicine. The value and quality of data on the safety and efficacy of traditional medicine are insufficient to meet the requirements to support its worldwide use. The SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis showed that by becoming a leader in the field of herbal medicine, India has a great opportunity in the national and international market for single and polyherbal Formulations (PHFs). It has also been recognized that the polyherbal formulation market has significant growth potential in both developed and developing countries. Investment and commitment are needed to support research and development in the field of polyherbal Formulations. This paper analyzes the opportunities and challenges to develop polyherbal formulations in India using a SWOT study.

Keywords: SWOT, Herbal Medicine, Polyherbal Formulations, Challenges, Opportunities.