“IMPCOPS” The Indian Medical Practitioners Co-operative Pharmacy and Stores Ltd., was established in the Year 1944 by the doyens and leading stalwarts of Indian Systems of Medicine like Vaidya Ratna Captain G.Srinivasamurthy, Professor Dr.C.Dwarakanath, former Adviser in Indian Systems of Medicine, Government of India, Dr.Y.Suryanarayana Rao, Ayurvedacharya, D.M.Visweswara Sastry, H.P.I.M., former Principal, Government College of Indian Medicine, Madras and Special Officer, Department of Indian Medicine, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Padmashri.

Dr.V.Narayanaswamy, former President of Impcops, Dr.Y.Kondal Rao, Former Secretary of Impcops, Dr.C.S.Uthamarayan and many more illustrious personnel.

“Service with quality” and “reasonability in price” being its ideals, Impcops is engaged in the manufacturing of nearly 700 varieties of centuries old, time proven traditional medicines in a reasonably modernized plant employing sophisticated techniques under expert supervision. The Medicines manufactured here are consumed by the public, the Medical practitioners and Government Hospitals

Initially this Society was registered under the Tamilnadu Co-op. Societies Act 1932 on 6.4.1944 and started functioning from 12.9.1944 onwards.

It was brought under the purview of Multi State Co-operative Societies Act under the control of Central Registrar of Co-op. Societies from 1984 onwards. This institution is situated on a 9 acre plot purchased by the society way back in 1949.

With a humble beginning with 400 Registered Medical Practitioners as its institutional members, it has grown in stature by incorporating 12000 Registered Medical Practitioners as its present members having the shares numbering to 2,77,000 with a share capital of Rs.13,85,000/-.

This is one and the only unique organization working under Co. operative Sector in the entire Asia which is engaged in the manufacturing of all the three traditional Indian systems of Medicines namely Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani under one roof. The present annual turnover is around Rs.9 crores

The institution has its second manufacturing Unit at Tadepalle, Andhra Pradesh and a Regional Office at Vijayawada, A.P.

Apart from catering to the needs of the Medical Practitioners of three systems of Indian Medicine and the public, this institution is supplying medicines to the C.G.H.S. Dispensaries, (Govt. of India) Dispensaries attached to various Municipalities, Corporations, Panchayat Unions and Voluntary Health Bodies.

Apart from this we are also catering to the needs of innumerable District wise Distributors in Tamilnadu State and State wise Distributors in Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and union territory Pondicherry.

For manufacturing the Indian Medicines, we extensively use raw drugs numbering around 700 obtained from plant origin, metals, minerals, fine chemicals and of animal origin Of these, about 500 are of plant origin, about 150 of mineral origin and about 50 of animal origin. All these raw materials are subjected to vigorous quality control examinations in compliance with the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, Government of India under Chapter IVA. To comply with the provisions of this Act, we have established an Analytical Laboratory comprising of Botany and Chemistry wings in the year 1977. Ever since, all the raw materials and the finished products are systematically analysed here batch after batch every day. It is worth mentioning here that all the crude drugs used in our manufacturing are systematically identified, standards have been evolved and analytical procedures have been streamlined. This is a pioneering effort in the field of Indian Medicine. Further our standards for crude drugs and finished products are stringent and are on par with the standards prescribed by Government of India in their national formulary.

Since ours is the only institution engaged in the manufacture of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani medicines under one roof, the Government of Tamilnadu is periodically deputing the drug inspectors for undergoing training the field of indigenous medicine to implement the provisions of chapter IVA of Drug and Cosmetics Act under G.O.No.529 Dt.28.12.1977. Similarly we are giving training to personnels from Co.Op. Institutions also and providing research assistance to M.Sc., M.Phil,. and Ph.D,. students and students in Co.operative studies and in Indian Medicine. Thus our institution is considered and is being utilised by various Government Departments as a model institution for any type of clarifications pertaining to the manufacturing of indigenous medicines

We have celebrated our Silver Jubilee in the year 1969 under the presidentship of Justice R.Sadasivam and a Silver Jubilee Museum was declared open on that occasion.

Further we have celebrated the Golden Jubilee celebrations in the year 1995 under the President ship of Thiru.G.K.Moopanar,M.P., and the then Hon’ble Central Minister Thiru. M.Arunachalam.

Even though, to begin with our activities were confined to the manufacture of Indian Medicines, as years passed by and with the mounting pressure of public for quality medical treatment, we have established a small hospital of our own with an Out Patient Department on our premises. In our In Patient department which functions on ambulatory basis, we give Panchakarma and other special indigenous treatments for various diseases which are not manageable by Western System of medicine. In our out patient Department, on an average about 100 patients are being given consultation per day in all the three systems of Indian Medicine with specific days allocated to particular system of medicine.

In the year 1985, the Government of Tamilnadu and in 1987 Government of India have recognised our Hospital for the treatment of State and Central Government employees through G.O. No.814025/84 MS. Dt.11.2.97 Public Health and Family Planning respectively

Later through an amendment, the Government of Tamilnadu was kind enough to recongise the Impcops Hospital for reimbursement purpose for the special Panchakarma treatment given to its employees also. Thus the institution provides genuine treatment in Indian Medicine to all the needy patients who earlier were going to various other Institutions situated far away from Chennai. To cater to the needs of several thousands of patients, there is an urgent need for building our own Hospital Complex. There is no other Hospital giving treatment in Indian Medicines in South Madras, that too at such a reasonable cost as being done by us.

Anyhow we have plansto construct a Hospital on our premises shortly.

Thus Impcops has proceeding in the right from its direction and has gradually and systematically blossomed under the guidance of illustrious leaderships so far and so long.

In the present scenario, enormous opportunities are thrown open and Indian medicine is attracting the attention worldwide. Not to miss this opportunity, Impcops is also gearing upto meet the challenges

So Impcops has embarked upon this plan to meet this objective with its fundamental axiom of “Duty with devotion and dedication” and sincerely hopes to accomplish this cherished ideal of serving the humanity globally in the coming years.