The Phrase “EU legislation…” has the power either to turn your mind to mulch or cause a surge of fury that threatens the integrity of your blood vessels. So it is with some trepidation that I attempt to tackle the subject of the approaching deadline for non-licensed herbal remedies, involving as it does that fatal phrase.
What will be happening to herbal remedies after 30th April 2011?
After 30th april 2011, all herbal products judged by the Medcines and Health Care products Regulatory Agency (a Government body – the MHRA for short) to be medicinal will have to be registered with the MHRA by the manufacturer before being supplied to retailers or consumers.
The registration can be best described as an approval process, and will allow products to state clearly what they can be used for. Safety data, such as when not to use the product, will be available for each registered remedy.
Why has this legislation been brought in?
(Brace yourselves) The EU required the UK and some other countries to close the legal loop hole that allowed unlicensed herbal remedies to be sold. The requisite legislation was actually passed in 2005, but we were given time to get products licensed before it was put into effect. 30th April 2011 is the cut-off point after which we have to toe the line.
Should I like it or loathe it?
As with most legislative issues, there are good bits and bad bits:
On the plus side, in order to obtain a registration he manufacturer has to show the product is made to certain quality standards. Consumers can therefore be assured that they are taking what it says on the tin and in the amounts specified. Nothing wrong with that.
Registered products will carry an “indication’- allowing consumers to see easily what the product is for.
The manufacturer will be able to supply information on how to use the product safely-for instance, what to avoid or look out for when using the herbal product. This too is good.
On the down side, a product can only be registered if it or an equivalent product has been in use for a period of at least 30 years, 15 of which have to be within Europe. This means that many Chinese and Ayurvedic herbs won’t be able to get registrations easily, and that developing new products will be problematic.
In the end, it is widely anticipated that the new legislation will limit consumer choice and it will become more difficult to obtain useful, but less popular herbs.
