CFC Inhaler Ban Will Favor Herbal Medicine Market for Asthma

CFC (chloroflurocarbon) inhalers are all set to become extinct by 2008. This is a result of the Montreal Protocol signed by many countries in 1989. According to the agreement, 160 countries had taken the vow of phasing out all CFC related products from the world by 2010. CFC is responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer of atmosphere. This ozone layer protects us against the harmful UV rays of the sun, risk of skin cancer, and certain major health problems. But CFC is also a near indispensable thing in our daily use. Its use in aerosol sprays was banned in the late 1970s, but only on paper. Deodorants and Air Conditioners use CFCs even today. Add to this the use of CFC inhalers, a must-have for asthma patients.  

 

The phasing out of CFC inhalers is a cause of concern for asthma patients since these are approved and prescribed forms of medication for people suffering from asthma. These inhalers are also economical as against the HFA (hydrofluroalkane) inhalers that will be phased out by 2010. However as of now, these HFA inhalers will cost almost 20% more than the CFC inhalers. Since asthma is a chronic disease, sufferers usually take these medicines on a regular basis, and have a separate budget for their medication. A sudden hike in prices will affect their expense pattern and influence their decision to discontinue the medication.

 

There are 22-25 million asthma and bronchitis patients in India, and a $1billion herbal medicine market in India. It is highly probable that a considerable percentage of inhaler users will switch to Ayurvedic form of medication. But, with herbal medicine companies harping more on the conventional approaches and disapproving any form of modern technology incorporation, the enlightened section of the population will prefer inhalers. The new poly herbal asthma medicine Res-Q from Asoka Lifescience Limited is an exception in this regard. It has been made by using a novel drug delivery technology, and dissolves in the mouth itself bypassing the entire metabolic process. The future of the herbal medicine market now looks bright.

Avoid Fake Herbal Medicine Companies

Herbal medicines are consumed by almost 80% of the world’s population. In India alone, the industry stands at a huge $1 billion. The demand comes from the people’s faith in the 5000 year old science of life. Despite many allegations, people never lose their faith in Ayurvedic medicines. This leads to an increase in demand over the years. This is primarily because of the distrust associated to anything chemical, and modern drugs are composed of chemicals and nothing else. Herbal medicines stand for anything natural, and provide us a chance to establish an association with nature. This explains the consumer attitudes behind the purchase decisions.

But, the fly-by-night quack Ayurvedic companies are taking advantage of this faith. According to a recent finding, a whopping twenty percent of Ayurvedic medicines sold over the Internet contains over permissible limits of lead, mercury, or arsenic. The conclusion was arrived at after the researchers of a university purchased 193 samples of medicines available over the Internet and analyzed them for possible toxicity. And their doubts came to be true. 

This is shocking since the herbal medicine market is mainly a export oriented market and the main demand comes from the foreigners, affected by health tourism and looking towards the east to fix their physiological problems. These guys are an easily decieved lot, and seldom cross check the products or even the profile of the company. The decision is influenced by an eye catching design of the website and a compelling copy that enthralls the readers. Some aggressive and often misguided SEO efforts lead to high Page Rank which makes the company listed among the first few pages of any search engine. Most of these products flaunt a GMP certification and there is no means by which you can verify this certification. 

So, if you are living abroad and looking for herbal remedies to relieve you of asthma or other chronic illnesses, then don’t go for any Tom-Dick-or Harry manufacturer. Take time to know more about the disease, its chances of recovery and the available medications. If you are purchasing something over the Internet, do a Google search for the company to look for any media mention or press release that has come out in a national daily. Also, look for the research and development work of the company. Remember, Ayurveda is not just a quack medication. You can’t just mix some herbs, boil them and say, “Here is a miracle cure for Asthma!” It requires careful clinical experimentation and a proper lab-oriented approach to churn out the right medicine. Thankfully, the research work of Asoka Lifescience Limited is undertaken by Jadavpur University, one of the largest universities in Asia. Just the right approach needed to rub off the blemishes that fake companies put on Ayurveda.