VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - The government pays attention to the development of herbal medicines in the country, according to the Health Ministry's Director General of Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Lucia Rizka Andalusia.

"We have placed Indonesian herbal medicines highly in Law No. 17 of 2023 concerning Health, where there is a special chapter that encourages the development of natural medicines," Andalusia noted in a statement received here on Wednesday.

She explained that Indonesia has the Phytopharmaca Formulary, or a list of clinically tested natural medicines.

The Phytopharmaca Formulary aims to provide access to healthcare facilities to purchase phytopharmaceutical drugs that have been listed in the formulary, she noted.

"If it is listed in the formulary, it means that its standard has been analyzed and evaluated, so that it can be used in health services," she stated.

On the other hand, she explained that herbal medicines are more suitable to be used for health promotion and sickness prevention, which is in accordance with the objectives of Law No. 17 of 2023.

"Herbal medicines do not have to be used as curative medicine. The most important thing is (health) promotion and disease prevention, wellbeing and fitness, as well as complements conventional medicine," Andalusia stated.

She said, the Ministry of Health has the Center for Research and Development of Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine (B2P2TOOT) in Tawangmangu, Central Java, which conducts research and cultivation of herbal medicine.

However, the development of herbal medicines faces various challenges, such as the gap between researchers and doctors as herbal drug users, she pointed out.

"There is still a gap between researchers and doctors, so we integrate clinical research and use (of herbal medicine) in Sarjito Hospital in Yogyakarta," she remarked. (Antaranews)