When Chao Phya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital set out to make herbal medicine for its own use two decades ago, Clinacanthus nutans Zburm.F.X Lindau., alittle known herb then, was chosen and developed into a glycerine preparation. Today it is one of vast range of Abhaibhubejhr herbal medicine, beauty and beverage products approved by Thailand Food and Drug Administration. In developing these products ranging from non-aerosol mosquito spray to cough syrup, Abhaibhubejhr has always been guided by its original policy to choose medicinal plants of high level of safety and with sufficient scientific support for their claimed properties

Organic

A group of herbs in “Ban Dong Bung” is the prototype community interested in the development of medicinal plants in organic farming systems. The development of herbal the hospital pharmacists give the knowledge about the use and properties of herbs and how to harvest and drying. To obtain quality of raw materials, it makes activities in School of Agriculture. The learning process is involved with learning about the ecosystem to the soil and planting methods.

Good Manufacturing Practice

The principles of GMP covers the location of the establishment, building structures, production system must be safe, and quality standards at every stage. Since the initial production plan must control system from raw materials during production until finished product storage, quality control and shipping to consumers need to record in the database and detect along with monitoring of product quality including better management of health (Sanitation and Hygiene).

Production Efficiency

Abhibhubejhr herbal products are of high quality achieved by employ by employing advanced technology to enhance the value of herbal medicine and to make them safe and accessible for users. Conforming to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), the production plant has a daily capacity to turn out 500,000 herbal capsules, 2,000 tea sachets, 5,000 bottles of beverages and 3,000 items of personal care products. With a specially designed extraction machine, 100 litres of herbal extracts can be obtained for an hour. Production wastes are treated by the hospital’s incinerators and activated sludge waste treatment systems.

Quality Control

At CAF quality control starts from farm. The entire process of planting, harvesting and processing is certified by Organic Agriculture Certification Thailand (ACT), an IFORM-accredited body. Additionally, supplying farms are subject to inspection under CAF’s internal control system three times a year. Plant materials from the farms come under rigorous lab tests including Thin Layer Chromatography and High Performance Liquid Chromatography to check their marker substances, potency and consistency. Other state-of-the-art equipment such as Atomic Absorption and Deep Freezer systems are also utilized. The plant has a microbiological unit to detect contamination.

Research and Development

In the R&D unit pharmacists and technicians with expertise in their fields work together to develop herbal products form knowledge gained from traditional sources and supported by scientific research.