Research efforts are focused on authentication of species, building quality parameters both for raw materials and finished products and standardization of the production processes.

The main objectives of R & D Department are:

• To scientifically validate the efficacy and safety of traditional medicines.
• To explore the opportunities for new products using natural resources to combat existing and emerging health problems.
• To improve production methodologies.

The main activities of R & D Department are:

• Building Quality Control test parameters and standards for starting material and finished products.

• Building monographs on each medicinal plant used in the production of traditional medicine.
• Conduct drug efficacy and stability trials.
• Survey and documentation of medicinal plants, including herbarium specimen collection.
• Survey of medicinal and hot springs in the country and identification of their medicinal values.
• Establishing therapeutic value indices of medicinal plants.
• New product development trials.

The R & D Department comprises of the following components:

a. Pharmacognosy
Studies the cells and tissues of the raw materials that needs authentication and standardization, and authenticated raw materials for monograph building. The section in coordination with ethno-botany, also studies the species variation at the cellular level and through physio-chemical studies. The pharmacology section is responsible for the scientific validation of traditional drug efficacy by developing appropriate disease models for in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies.

The present activities of this area include screening of traditional drugs and medicinal plants of Bhutan for any anti-microbial activities by developing bioassays for anti-microbial screening, adverse drug reactions, evaluation and research of clinical information on disease pattern, drug consumption etc. This section is also involved in the documentation of various traditional therapies including Tsa-chus (hot springs) and sMenchus (medicinal water). The section also carries out basic operational research from time to time in coordination with other sections when new products are developed and released for trial.

b. Phyto-chemistry
Screens the potential plant materials through chemical extractions. The major task of this section is the extraction and identification of main chemical constituents present in different extracts. The extracts are then preserved for authentication/standardization and quality control purposes. The extracts with potential are provided to different sections for further research. This section also sets the quality parameters to be adopted by the quality control section by running through different instruments and method validation. The other activity of this section includes development and validation of pre-processing/detoxification methods.

c. Ethno-botany
It is responsible for the research on ethnic uses of medicinal plants, authentication of plants through botanical studies, and standardizing as per traditional texts. This section is also responsible for developing and maintaining medicinal plant herbarium in the PRU/MSP. In addition this section carries out survey on species diversity, distribution and population robustness of medicinal plants that are being used in the manufacture of traditional medicine as well as those plants, which are proven to be of medicinal value.