Australia Raises Regulatory Bar on Herbal Products

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Australia Raises Regulatory Bar on Herbal Products

 

Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is expected to

demand a " much more rigorous assessment " of all herbal and

homeopathic ingredients used in complementary or alternative

medicines, according to the American Herbal Products Association.

 

The announcement came as part of the government's response to

recommendations from an expert committee on complementary medicines

in the health system. That committee was formed in the aftermath of

an April 2003 recall of more than 1,600 medicines (including

products regulated as dietary supplements in the U.S.) manufactured

by Pan Pharmaceuticals.

 

The government accepted nearly all of the committee's 49

recommendations, expanding upon each in its response document. They

include reviewing homeopathic and herbal medicines, raw herbs and

other ingredients, and implementing new guidelines to verify claims.

Further, quality standards for all ingredients used in complementary

medicines will be enforced, and any ingredients suspected of causing

fetal abnormalities will be banned from use other than in

complementary products subject to the same scrutiny as that given to

prescription drugs.

 

The government is to establish a database to identify researchers

and centers of excellence on complementary medicines, and take more

action to ensure consumers get reliable product information.

 

To view the TGA's full response document, go to

http://www.tga.gov.au/cm/cmresponse.pdf "