It's Time For Herbs To Look Better With Science-Based Processing, PDPOTJI And BPOM Do This

JAKARTA - Jamu is an ancestral heritage that is rich in benefits. But in today's era, herbal products must come with beautiful packaging and science-based processing. For this reason, the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) encourages collaboration between the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) and the Association of Indonesian Traditional Medicine and Herbal Medicine Developers (PDPOTJI).

"BPOM as the party that has the authority on medicinal issues including herbal medicine, we are waiting for directions. IDI through research institutions, PDPOTJI jointly develop herbal medicine. We at IDI can still prescribe herbal medicine if it is of medicinal quality," said IDI Chairman Daeng Mohammad Faqih in "Online". Special Talk Show for Herbal Day 2021", Sunday, May 30 as reported by Antara. Daeng said, Indonesia has a wealth of plants including medicinal ingredients that need to be encouraged to be developed so that they can be included in doctor's prescriptions. "We believe that in Indonesia, plants and medicinal ingredients are very big (potentially), it's a shame if we don't push them to be developed into drugs or herbs that doctors can use," he said.

According to him, the collaboration that will materialize can be an extraordinary job for the Indonesian people. "BPOM as a protector, IDI through research institutions and PDPOTJI to develop herbal medicine that can be used by qualified doctors with scientific research. If this is done, it looks like an extraordinary job for the nation," said Daeng.

On that occasion, the Deputy for Supervision of Traditional Medicines, Health Supplements, and Cosmetics at BPOM, Reri Indriani, welcomed this invitation to collaborate. by providing regulatory assistance for researchers and business actors from the preparation of clinical trial protocols, pre-clinical to the implementation of clinical trials through workshops and several process simplifications, prioritizing aspects of safety, benefits, and quality," said Reri.

According to Reri, clinical trials are important to obtain valid and credible clinical data so that traditional medicines can be successful in becoming a quality, efficacious form of phytopharmaca, and are expected to be included in JKN. BPOM was recently asked by the Ministry of Health to become a team in the National Drug Policy (KONAS). ) preparation of herbal medicines such as Jamu. Reri said, this is a positive signal for phytopharmaca steps to be included in KONAS which can be used in JKN. "Of course with strict screening through pre-clinical evidence and clinical trials," said Reri.

Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Traditional Medicine and Herbal Medicine Development Doctors (PDPOTJI), Dr. Inggrid Tania agrees that Indonesian herbal medicine packaging needs to be more attractive so it doesn't seem old-fashioned. "I agree that the packaging of our herbal medicine must be better, more attractive so that it doesn't seem old-fashioned," he said. Ingrid said the packaging safety aspect also needs to be considered. He gave an example, herbal medicine in bottles was found in a condition that was not sealed properly. This condition raises concerns about the presence of substances that enter into contaminating the herbal medicine.

However, the more important aspect is how the existing herbs can be accounted for for their health benefits. In Japan, herbal medicine or Kampo which from the packaging side looks relatively old-fashioned, but there is certainty in the quality of the raw materials being standardized.

Herbal medicine itself in Indonesia at this time, has not been included in the ingredients prescribed by doctors to patients. Chairman of the Executive Board of the Indonesian Doctors Association (PB IDI) Daeng Mohammad Faqih said, herbal medicine can be prescribed by a doctor if it has medicinal qualities. Even so, doctors can still only recommend and teach how to make herbal medicine to their patients. "Doctors have not been given the legality to give herbal ingredients but we can recommend to patients, teach how to make them," said Tania.

Doctors can teach that herbal medicine already has empirical evidence such as the ingredients that are usually sold by herbal medicine vendors. To treat muscle pain, for example, you can use a concoction to make chili peppers made from Javanese chili, lempuyang, ginger, black pepper. However, not just any patient can be advised to drink Jamu. They especially should not have allergies to the ingredients of the medicinal plants used in the herbal concoction.