Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeial Laboratory, Ghaziabad similarly has been set up as a National Laboratory for the purpose of laying down standards and testing for identity, purity and quality of Homoeopathic Medicines. The laboratory is also assigned functions of Central Drug Laboratory for testing of Homoeopathic medicines under Rule 3A of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act. Standards worked out by the laboratory are published in the form of Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of India (HPI).
The administrative head is the Director. Scientific officers for Photochemistry, Pharmacognosy, Microbiology, Pharmacology is appointed separately. Library information officer is also posted for citizen information. Dr. D. R. Lohar is the Director of this subordinate office. Dr. Prakash Joshi, Dr. Manisha S. Sarkar and Dr. Atul Kumar Gupta are scientific officers. Mr.R.C.Srivastava serves as library information officer.
Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia Laboratory was established in 1975 under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India, as a quality monitoring apex body. It is situated at Central Govt. Offices Complex No. 1, Kamla Nehru Nagar, and Ghaziabad. It's main functions are to set standards and testing of homoeopathic medicine at National level.
It is an approved laboratory under Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 with duties and functions of Central Drugs Laboratory for homoeopathic medicine under Section 6 of the Act and Rule 3A and Sub-Rule 7. The standard of homoeopathic medicines to be complied for manufacture, sale or import are defined in Section 4A of Second Schedule of Drugs & Cosmetics Act. The Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India also recognizes the laboratory. Worked out standards are released by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in the form of Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of India (HPI). Eight volumes covering standards for 916 drugs and 159-finished product have already been published. HPI is included in the SECOND SCHEDULES of DRUGS & COSMETICS ACT, 1940. Recommendatory standards on two hundred fifty seven drugs have also been released. In the years to come, it has to cover additional 1600 drugs.
Being an apex laboratory HPL is also undertaking training of State Govt. officials engaged in quality control / quality assurance activities in the field of modern methods of drug testing.
The laboratory also imparts training to the manufacturers and Principals of Homoeopathic Medical Colleges. As a result, in the last decade, it has so far organized 36 training programmes covering approximately 300 trainees. In the last 15 years, remarkable improvements have taken place in the quality control of homoeopathic medicines.
Majority of HPL's functions have been switched over to computers and microprocessor-based instruments, to achieve higher accuracy and outputs in the shortest possible time. It also undertakes research, evaluation and rationalization of homoeopathic medicines and formulations. Plant introduction, maintenance of reference samples, survey and collection of data in respect of adulteration are its other functions. The laboratory is also having good collection of germ plasm / seeds of medicinal plants of both indigenous and exotic nature.
To achieve these, a multidisciplinary approach is adopted with high technology involvement like Ultra-violet spectrophotometer (UV), Infrared spectrophotometer (IR), Gas Liquid Chromatograph (GLC), High Pressure Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC), Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Scan Electron Microscope. It also had allied facilities like Microtomy, Thin Layer Chromatography, Lyophilization, Computer-Data-processing, Museum, Library, Seminar room, Photography & Documentation unit, a Germ Plasm / Seed Bank & Tissue-culture facilities, an experimental herb garden and a nosode bank.
The laboratory receives samples from Drug Control authorities and also Central / State Govts. It is a notified laboratory for drug testing for states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Union Territory of Delhi, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Utter Pradesh, West Bengal and Tripura.Dissemination of technical information and suggestions for remedial measures for quality improvement through survey sampling are being done at National Level.
Contact address is
Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia Laboratory,
Department of ISM & Homoeopathy,
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,
Kamla Nehru Nagar,
Ghaziabad U.P. - 201 002.
