Press Release

Herbal medicine on the brink!

12 October 2009

Chipping Norton, Oxon, Herbal medicine is under threat. The public could soon lose access to many herbal medicines currently available. Herbalists and their suppliers might have to close down if – as now seems likely – the Government fails to introduce statutory regulation of practitioners - as it has for osteopaths and chiropractors.

Worse still, unscrupulous backstreet traders will still be able to sell potentially dangerous herbal medicines to the public via dubious internet sites. And more people are likely to risk buying in this way because professional herbalists will not be allowed to provide their patients with many well-established remedies.

In 2011 a new European law will ban the sale of all herbal medicines except licensed "traditional" herbal remedies for "mild and self-limiting" illness. Many of the herbal medicines currently prescribed by herbalists will have to be withdrawn as practitioners will lose the right to prescribe herbal medicines from reputable third-party producers and manufacturers. This problem can only be solved by the statutory regulation of professional herbalists.

This is why, after years of dilly-dallying, the Government is now carrying out a public consultation into statutory regulation – but with questions so difficult few people can answer them.

The first asks: 'What is the evidence of harm . . . What is its likelihood and severity?' Others ask for estimates of costs, the "regulatory burden" and alternatives to statutory regulation. One even suggests there is no evidence base for herbal medicine: a claim that is patently untrue and absurd.

Herbalist Michael McIntyre, Stakeholder Chair on the Department of Health's Committee that recently recommended statutory regulation for herbalists and acupuncturists and Chairman of the European Herbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioners' Association, says:

"Patients are telling herbalists around the country that they have tried to respond to the consultation questionnaire – but are unable to do so. You would need to be an expert in medicines law or regulation to answer most of the questions.

"This is the second Government consultation on regulation of herbal medicine. The first, published in 2005, received an overwhelming response in favour. Perhaps this time, they want to make it more difficult for ordinary patients to get a say."
The Department of Health consultation questionnaire can be found at:
http://www.info.doh.gov.uk/questionnaire/ahmtcm_consultion.nsf

EHTPA is encouraging all those who have been unable to respond to contact their MP, and to let EHTPA know too, by emailing gail.breeze@ehpa.eu.