Preparation of pharmacopoeial standards is a continuous process. The standards have to be updated as and when it becomes necessary. To prepare the National Formulary of Unani Medicine and to evolve their pharmacopoeial standards, the Government of India, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Department of ISM & H reconstituted the Unani Pharmacopoeia Committee vide office order No. U.20012/112002-APC, dated October, 2002 consists of experts in various fields viz. Unani Practitioners (Physicians), Chemist, Botanist, Pharmacologist and Pharmacognosist to contribute a lot with their expertise and long standing experience.

The Unani Pharmacopoeia Committee is pleased to present the IVth Volume of National Formulary of Unani Medicine (NFUM). It has selected 166 compound Unani formulations for inclusion in this volume on the same pattern as was followed for the previous three volumes of NFUM i.e. on the basis of their popularity, their common use by practitioners (Unanipaths), for manufacturing and sale. The formulations included in this volume are widely used across the country. The valuable suggestions of the expert members of the committee were taken into consideration while finalising the compound Un ani formulations for the present volume of NFUM. Some new index for useful information has been added at the end of this volume.

I hope that this volume of the formulary will also get the acceptance of drug manufacturers, and other professionals of Unani Medicine.

The committee has full confidence that these formulations will be adopted by all Central and State Government Institutions for their official use.

The Unani Pharmacopoeia Committee hope to complete the pharmacopoeial standards of the compound Unani formulations of this volume at the earliest.

The Unanipathy is a well established scientific system of Medicine. It is based on the teaching of Hippocrates (Buqrat-460-137-BC). Galen (Jalinoos-131-21O-AD), developed it into an elaborate Medical System. The Arabian and Persian Physicians like Rhazes (850-925-AD) and Avicenna (900-1037-AD) gave a scientific touch to it. Now it is one of the Indian System of Medicine and has a long and impressive development record in India. Today, India is one of the leading country in so far as the teaching and practice are concerned. There are large number of Unani Educational, Research and Health Care Institutions in the country. It is a matter of proud that Unanipathy forms an integral part of National Health Care delivery system.

In view of the present trend of commercialisation, the Govt. of India is very conscious of quality control and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) of Unani Medicine. The Manufacturing of Unani Medicine is being regulated through Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. Keeping into consideration of commercialisation, and quality control of Unani Drugs, the Govt. of India, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has constituted the Unani Pharmacopoeia Committee, consisting of Experts Unani Physicians, Chemists, Pharmacognocist, Botanists and Pharmacologits. The main function of this Pharmacopoeia Committee is to prepare National Unani Formulary and Unani Pharmacopoeia of India.