Monday, May 24, 2010

10,000 natural products still unlicensed

From the Toronto Sun:
More than six years after Health Canada started regulating natural health products for safety and effectiveness, it still hasn’t processed licence applications for about 10,000 non-traditional, homeopathic, food or personal care remedies now sold in Canada.

The backlog has prompted drug stores to pull some natural products from their shelves after their umbrella regulatory body reminded pharmacies they should not sell unlicensed products.

Now the federal department is scrambling to find a fix that will exempt natural products from current rules until it can process them fully.

The department recently unveiled temporary licensing proposals meant to “make the sale of these products legal” for the time being if they file safety information on request, show “good manufacturing practices,” report any adverse reactions and work from a licensed site.

The products include traditional Chinese and herbal medicines; non-traditional medicines such as herbs, vitamins and minerals; homeopathic medicines; or personal care products such as shampoos that make health claims. ...more

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