Guest guest Posted November 9, 2004 Report Share Posted November 9, 2004 According to mayway, they sell chinese herbs (see Q and A below) in the EU for the same price as in the US plus the 17.5% VAT. they warehouse in London, so there is no major difference in shipping costs and time compared to living in NY versus Italy. The 17.5% VAT must also be levied on the retail sale, effectively increasing the patient costs by about 28% (17.5% VAT on wholesale plus 17.5% VAT on 100% retail markup = 28% increase in consumer price compared to USA) 1 pound herbs for $10 plus 17.5% wholesale VAT = 11.75 plus 100% retail markup = 23.50 plus 17.5% retail VAT = 27.61 1 pound herbs for $10 plus 100% retail markup = 20.00 plus 7.5% state sales tax = 21.50 (27.61-21.50)/21.50 = .284 or 28.4% consumer cost difference between US and EU So whatever their prior status, chinese herbs would appear to be officially available and legal in the EU since the implementation of the Traditional Herbal Medicinals Policy Directive last spring. While 28% is a major difference in price, keep in mind EU citizens receive higher education and healthcare basically for free, so may be more willing to pay out of pocket for herbs. In addition, this assumes a 100% markup. But perhaps a 100% markup is not necessary if one wanted to achieve parity. Led by regulators from the UK Department of Health, the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD) has been adopted by the EU Parliament and was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 30th April 2004. The Directive requires all Member States to comply with the Directive by 30th October 2005. The THMPD specifically excludes herbalists from its remit, so whilst pharmaceutical manufacturing standards are to be imposed on the manufacturers and health food shops, herbalists can carry on making up remedies in their kitchen or elsewhere. >> 1. are chinese raw herbs available and legal in europe. >> >> 2. is there any significant price difference in raw herbs compared to >> the USA. Any estimate should include typical EU taxes. I will likely >> be living in or near Italy, so will shipping be a major expense? >> >> 3. can raw chinese herbs be supplied from the office of an herbalist >> or are they only sold through pharmacies? > > " Mayway \(UK\) Co Ltd " <admin > November 9, 2004 9:16:06 AM PST > " " < > Re: chinese bulk herbs > > Dear Todd > > Thank you for the query > > The answers to your questions are as follows: > 1. Yes > > 2.VAT Tax in UK is 17.5 % this should be the same for all of the EU. > Shipping will not be a major expense as one box of 30 kilo costs > 15.00 GBP > > 3. Yes can be sold from herbalist office Chinese Herbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 2004 Report Share Posted November 9, 2004 , wrote: > > The THMPD specifically excludes herbalists from its remit, so whilst > pharmaceutical manufacturing standards are to be imposed on the > manufacturers and health food shops, herbalists can carry on making up > remedies in their kitchen or elsewhere. It occurs to me that this exemption may apply only to unlicensed herbalists, not license healthcare workers. Europe appears to have decided to basically adopt British common law and leave lay herbalists to their own devices. However, like the US, once one obtains a license of any kind, common law probably no longer applies to your practice. So it may very well be that licensed acupuncturists or medical doctors technically need to have their herbs dispensed by a pharmacy, while a lay herbalist is protected by common law rights to compound and dispense from their offices. Mayway's message says chinese herbs can be sold from one's office, but this may actually vary from country to country, depending on licensure of lack thereof. However, unlicensed herbalists would appear to be exempt from any such regs throughout the EU. I would love to hear more expert thoughts on this and have solicited comment, which I will share as I receive it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 2004 Report Share Posted November 9, 2004 In the U.K., acupuncturists can sell herbs from their clinics just like in the U.S. However, these folks are unlicensed. On the continent, they cannot in Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, and Italy. The licensed practitioner (typically an MD; sometimes, in Germany, a heilpraktiker) must send the prescription to be filled at a pharmacy. They may be able dispense herbs from clinics in the Netherlands. I believe so. In Switzerland, each canton has its own rules and regs, but, in my experience, generally, Swiss practitioners do not dispense from their own clinics but send their patients' prescriptions to pharmacies. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 2004 Report Share Posted November 9, 2004 the 17.5 % tax only applies to the herbs sold to the consumer- you only pay that tax once- so the herbs you buy from mayway are excempt from tax provided you have a business license etc; the consumer pays the Value Added Tax. At least that is how it was when I was practicing (8 months) there after PCOM. Sincerely, David Appleton L.Ac. --- < wrote: > According to mayway, they sell chinese herbs (see Q > and A below) in the > EU for the same price as in the US plus the 17.5% > VAT. they warehouse > in London, so there is no major difference in > shipping costs and time > compared to living in NY versus Italy. The 17.5% > VAT must also be > levied on the retail sale, effectively increasing > the patient costs by > about 28% (17.5% VAT on wholesale plus 17.5% VAT on > 100% retail markup > = 28% increase in consumer price compared to USA) > > 1 pound herbs for $10 > plus 17.5% wholesale VAT = 11.75 > plus 100% retail markup = 23.50 > plus 17.5% retail VAT = 27.61 > > > 1 pound herbs for $10 > plus 100% retail markup = 20.00 > plus 7.5% state sales tax = 21.50 > > > (27.61-21.50)/21.50 = .284 or 28.4% consumer cost > difference between US > and EU > > So whatever their prior status, chinese herbs would > appear to be > officially available and legal in the EU since the > implementation of > the Traditional Herbal Medicinals Policy Directive > last spring. While > 28% is a major difference in price, keep in mind EU > citizens receive > higher education and healthcare basically for free, > so may be more > willing to pay out of pocket for herbs. In > addition, this assumes a > 100% markup. But perhaps a 100% markup is not > necessary if one wanted > to achieve parity. > > Led by regulators from the UK Department of > Health, the Traditional > Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD) has > been adopted by the EU > Parliament and was published in the Official > Journal of the European > Union on 30th April 2004. The Directive requires > all Member States to > comply with the Directive by 30th October 2005. > > The THMPD specifically excludes herbalists from > its remit, so whilst > pharmaceutical manufacturing standards are to be > imposed on the > manufacturers and health food shops, herbalists > can carry on making up > remedies in their kitchen or elsewhere. > > > > >> 1. are chinese raw herbs available and legal in > europe. > >> > >> 2. is there any significant price difference in > raw herbs compared to > >> the USA. Any estimate should include typical EU > taxes. I will likely > >> be living in or near Italy, so will shipping be a > major expense? > >> > >> 3. can raw chinese herbs be supplied from the > office of an herbalist > >> or are they only sold through pharmacies? > > > > > > " Mayway \(UK\) Co Ltd " > <admin > > November 9, 2004 9:16:06 AM PST > > " " < > > Re: chinese bulk herbs > > > > Dear Todd > > > > Thank you for the query > > > > The answers to your questions are as follows: > > 1. Yes > > > > 2.VAT Tax in UK is 17.5 % this should be the same > for all of the EU. > > Shipping will not be a major expense as one box of > 30 kilo costs > > 15.00 GBP > > > > 3. Yes can be sold from herbalist office > Chinese Herbs > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > > Check out the new Front Page. www. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 , " Bob Flaws " <pemachophel2001> wrote: > > In the U.K., acupuncturists can sell herbs from their clinics just > like in the U.S. However, these folks are unlicensed. On the > continent, they cannot in Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, and > Italy. The licensed practitioner (typically an MD; sometimes, in > Germany, a heilpraktiker) must send the prescription to be filled at a > pharmacy. They may be able dispense herbs from clinics in the > Netherlands. I believe so. In Switzerland, each canton has its own > rules and regs, but, in my experience, generally, Swiss practitioners > do not dispense from their own clinics but send their patients' > prescriptions to pharmacies. > > Bob Don't the laws have to be unified at some point or will medical practice laws be left to each country. this would seem to be a restriction on free trade within the EU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 10, 2004 Report Share Posted November 10, 2004 , david appleton <acuapple> wrote: > > > the 17.5 % tax only applies to the herbs sold to the > consumer- you only pay that tax once- so the herbs you > buy from mayway are excempt from tax provided you have > a business license etc; the consumer pays the Value > Added Tax. At least that is how it was when I was > practicing (8 months) there after PCOM. David Thanks. good to hear from you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.