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Abstract

Seventy-seven pharmacy colleges in India were surveyed to determine the extent and nature of traditional medicine instruction. As a component of this, Ayurvedic or phytopharmacy instruction was also surveyed. In a 78 percent response (60/77) response rate, it was noted that 74 percent (n=57) of the schools offered at least one course addressing traditional medicine, phytomedicine or phytopharmacy. Twenty-five schools indicated the topic was not addressed in the curriculum. Three schools indicated future strategies to introduce course addressing traditional medicine. Only five colleges were found to maintain traditional medicine or related courses. The average year of discontinuation of course was 1996 due to lack of qualified faculty and merger of the subject with pharmacognosy. Some of the colleges offered TM course as an elective subject and two institutions provided course by distance education mode. With renaissance of the traditional medicine, we need to introduce specialized course in the subject and this needs to be addressed in uniform manner in all colleges of pharmacy.

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