Herbs Quality Still Be Challenge

Herbal and traditional medicine industry in Indonesia has been growing, but the question still must be improved product quality. As stated in the National Working Meeting of Association of Indonesian Herbal and Traditional Medicine, Tuesday (1 / 6).

Director General of Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Ministry of Health of Sri Indrawaty said the last few decades, the national traditional medicines and herbal drugs have grown significantly. The value of the use of herbal and traditional medicine has also increased. Year 2009, operating revenues herbal medicine and traditional medicine reached Rp 8 trillion and is targeted to reach Rp 10 trillion in 2010.

Only, the quality needs to be further improved. Currently there are over 900 small industrial and medium industrial 130 herbal and traditional medicines. Nevertheless, only 69 of whom have received certification of Good Manufacturing Practice Traditional Medicine or Traditional Medicine Making Good (CPOTB).

CPOTB is a key condition set by the government to produce quality products for the use of equipment and machinery, facilities, infrastructure, plant and human resources.

Herbal and traditional medicines are also still facing problems with the existence of a number of products containing chemicals and drugs do not meet certain quality standards.

Head of Food and Drugs Supervisory Agency (BPOM) Kustantinah said the results of sampling in 2009 and 2010 shows, a chemical found in many herbal medicines stiff, stamina enhancer, fatter, and slimming.

Types of chemicals widely used drug is paracetamol (91 percent), phenylbutazone (46 percent), and sildenafil citrate (14 percent). The use of random drug chemicals have a negative impact on health. Moreover, a number of chemicals were added in herbal medicines that belong to this class of hard drugs.

Gradual standardization

Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Herbal and Traditional Medicine (GP Jamu) Charles Saerang said that most small-scale herbal medicine industry. "To have a minimum industry standard required CPOTB USD 2 billion. For a small industry of course it is heavy, "he said.

According to him, CPOTB must be adapted to the abilities and needs of each industry so that the implementation CPOTB can not be generalized to all industries from household scale to large. Moreover, many herbal industry, especially small and medium-scale, not to get government assistance. Including guidance on CPOTB.
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