From the Victoria Times Colonist:
In a surprising about-face, Health Minister Tony Clement has agreed to key demands of the natural health products industry after the sector launched a grassroots campaign against restrictions on homeopathic medicines and herbal remedies in new legislation.
When Clement proposed amendments to the Food and Drugs Act in April, natural medicines were lumped in with pharmaceutical drugs, raising concerns they would be subject to the same type of oversight. He now admits it was a mistake not to create a separate category under the law.
"My attitude is a bill is a work in progress. Let's see whether we are clearly getting out the things that we want to do in a particular bill. In this case, obviously protecting the health and safety of Canadians was and remains the motive for the bill," Clement said in an interview Friday. ...more
Showing posts with label Natural Product Number. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Natural Product Number. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Clement calls natural-health claim "absurd"
From the Georgia (BC) Straight:
Health Minister Tony Clement has struck back at claims by lawyer Shawn Buckley in last week’s Georgia Straight that his proposed regulations in Bill C-51 would result in a Canada-wide death toll of “tens of thousands” or more.
“It’s absurd, it really is,” Clement told the Straight by phone on June 9. “We can disagree on public policy, but to use that kind of language is really over the top and regrettable.”
Buckley, a Kamloops-based constitutional lawyer, spoke at a June 2 downtown event organized by the Health Action Network Society in opposition to Clement’s health bill before the House of Commons.
During his speech, Buckley—also president of a group called the Natural Health Products Protection Association—claimed that Clement’s bill would result in more natural health products (or NHPs) being regulated off the market due to strict licensing and labelling laws as well as more stringent policing of the industry and greater Health Canada enforcement powers. ...more
Health Minister Tony Clement has struck back at claims by lawyer Shawn Buckley in last week’s Georgia Straight that his proposed regulations in Bill C-51 would result in a Canada-wide death toll of “tens of thousands” or more.
“It’s absurd, it really is,” Clement told the Straight by phone on June 9. “We can disagree on public policy, but to use that kind of language is really over the top and regrettable.”
Buckley, a Kamloops-based constitutional lawyer, spoke at a June 2 downtown event organized by the Health Action Network Society in opposition to Clement’s health bill before the House of Commons.
During his speech, Buckley—also president of a group called the Natural Health Products Protection Association—claimed that Clement’s bill would result in more natural health products (or NHPs) being regulated off the market due to strict licensing and labelling laws as well as more stringent policing of the industry and greater Health Canada enforcement powers. ...more
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Critics blast new rules for natural remedies
From the Globe and Mail:
'Most of the herbal remedies for sale in Canada may soon be illegal."
"Canadian parents who give their children vitamins could face arrest."
"Federal agents will enter private property and fine mom-and-pop stores $5-million for arbitrary offences."
These are some of the questionable claims being spread online and through e-mail as part of a strident campaign led by the natural-health industry against the federal government's proposed changes to improve the quality and safety of natural health products in Canada.
One website makes the exaggerated claim that Canadians may lose the right to buy natural health products under the new law.
More than 40,000 people have joined several Facebook groups created to oppose amendments to Canada's Food and Drugs Act, known as Bill C-51. Several websites have popped up in recent weeks asking Canadians to sign petitions and call their members of Parliament to protest against the changes, which they say will ban up to 75 per cent of herbs and vitamins in Canada.
But in reality, medical experts say the changes probably won't have a major impact on the way natural health products are marketed and sold in Canada. In fact, they may finally bring accountability to a largely unregulated industry that has typically been able to market products with little proof of their effectiveness and limited safety guarantees, according to Lloyd Oppel, a physician responsible for health promotion at the British Columbia Medical Association. ...more
'Most of the herbal remedies for sale in Canada may soon be illegal."
"Canadian parents who give their children vitamins could face arrest."
"Federal agents will enter private property and fine mom-and-pop stores $5-million for arbitrary offences."
These are some of the questionable claims being spread online and through e-mail as part of a strident campaign led by the natural-health industry against the federal government's proposed changes to improve the quality and safety of natural health products in Canada.
One website makes the exaggerated claim that Canadians may lose the right to buy natural health products under the new law.
More than 40,000 people have joined several Facebook groups created to oppose amendments to Canada's Food and Drugs Act, known as Bill C-51. Several websites have popped up in recent weeks asking Canadians to sign petitions and call their members of Parliament to protest against the changes, which they say will ban up to 75 per cent of herbs and vitamins in Canada.
But in reality, medical experts say the changes probably won't have a major impact on the way natural health products are marketed and sold in Canada. In fact, they may finally bring accountability to a largely unregulated industry that has typically been able to market products with little proof of their effectiveness and limited safety guarantees, according to Lloyd Oppel, a physician responsible for health promotion at the British Columbia Medical Association. ...more
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Natural health care industry rebuked over claims about new bill
From the Calgary Herald:
Health Minister Tony Clement says the natural health products industry is scaring consumers unnecessarily with claims that the government plans to outlaw popular homeopathic medicines and herbal remedies.
"They are scaring people and it's not borne out by the intent of the legislation or the wording of the legislation," Clement said Monday in an interview about proposed amendments to the Food and Drugs Act, currently being debated in Parliament.
The Natural Health Products Protection Association has launched a campaign arguing licensing requirements are already overly stringent and coming changes will mean up to three-quarters of all natural health products on the market will become illegal.
The association, which represents manufacturers, says the proposed legislation "reads like a police-state manual" and the "real danger in regulating them is to 'over-regulate' them off of the market." ...more
Health Minister Tony Clement says the natural health products industry is scaring consumers unnecessarily with claims that the government plans to outlaw popular homeopathic medicines and herbal remedies.
"They are scaring people and it's not borne out by the intent of the legislation or the wording of the legislation," Clement said Monday in an interview about proposed amendments to the Food and Drugs Act, currently being debated in Parliament.
The Natural Health Products Protection Association has launched a campaign arguing licensing requirements are already overly stringent and coming changes will mean up to three-quarters of all natural health products on the market will become illegal.
The association, which represents manufacturers, says the proposed legislation "reads like a police-state manual" and the "real danger in regulating them is to 'over-regulate' them off of the market." ...more
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Natural health products facing tighter regulation
From CTV News:
People who fear that proposed changes to the Food and Drugs Act will lead to tighter restrictions on natural health products will gather for a protest at Queen's Park in Toronto this weekend.
Saturday's demonstration will follow rallies held on Thursday and Friday in other cities across the country.
Opposition to Bill C-51, which proposes changes to language within the Act, is mainly coming from those who fear it will make it harder for consumers to purchase natural health products.
The bill was put before Parliament on April 8, and is an attempt by the government to update regulations for food, drugs and cosmetics and includes "medical devices, drugs, cells, tissues, organs, vaccines and veterinary drugs, as well as natural health products," Health Canada spokesperson Paul Duchesne told CTV.ca. ...more
People who fear that proposed changes to the Food and Drugs Act will lead to tighter restrictions on natural health products will gather for a protest at Queen's Park in Toronto this weekend.
Saturday's demonstration will follow rallies held on Thursday and Friday in other cities across the country.
Opposition to Bill C-51, which proposes changes to language within the Act, is mainly coming from those who fear it will make it harder for consumers to purchase natural health products.
The bill was put before Parliament on April 8, and is an attempt by the government to update regulations for food, drugs and cosmetics and includes "medical devices, drugs, cells, tissues, organs, vaccines and veterinary drugs, as well as natural health products," Health Canada spokesperson Paul Duchesne told CTV.ca. ...more
Monday, February 04, 2008
New natural health product rules to allow cancer prevention claims
From the Globe and Mail:
Companies that sell natural health products will soon have unprecedented freedom to promote the ability of vitamins, herbal supplements and non-prescription drugs to prevent serious diseases and medical conditions, including cancer, heart disease and arthritis.
The changes to the federal rules, which take effect June 1, represent a significant boost for the natural health industry, which is eager to increase its credibility and capitalize on a booming market for vitamins and botanical supplements by directly marketing their health claims to consumers.
But medical experts and consumer advocates warn the federal government's decision could result in a flood of deceptive claims about natural health products that are backed up by inadequate or even flawed scientific evidence.
"It seems to me they're [Health Canada] authorizing wholesale misleading claims," said Bill Jeffery, national co-ordinator for the Centre for Science in the Public Interest. "They're giving industry even more latitude and they're prepared to approve even more impressive claims about more worrisome diseases with very little evidence." ...more
Companies that sell natural health products will soon have unprecedented freedom to promote the ability of vitamins, herbal supplements and non-prescription drugs to prevent serious diseases and medical conditions, including cancer, heart disease and arthritis.
The changes to the federal rules, which take effect June 1, represent a significant boost for the natural health industry, which is eager to increase its credibility and capitalize on a booming market for vitamins and botanical supplements by directly marketing their health claims to consumers.
But medical experts and consumer advocates warn the federal government's decision could result in a flood of deceptive claims about natural health products that are backed up by inadequate or even flawed scientific evidence.
"It seems to me they're [Health Canada] authorizing wholesale misleading claims," said Bill Jeffery, national co-ordinator for the Centre for Science in the Public Interest. "They're giving industry even more latitude and they're prepared to approve even more impressive claims about more worrisome diseases with very little evidence." ...more
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Health Canada faces huge backlog in the licensing of natural health products
From the Toronto Star:
An estimated 20 per cent of Canadians regularly use natural remedies because they believe they are safer than man-made pharmaceuticals, according to David Bailey, a clinical pharmacologist at the University of Western Ontario.
"That is simply not true," he says. "Many of our most potent medications and toxic substances are derived from plants."
Health Canada tries to keep up with new products through its Natural Health Products Directorate. Products that meet the agency's criteria for safety, efficacy and quality get a licence and an eight-digit Natural Product Number. All 50,000 natural health products for sale in Canada must have an NPN by 2010. ...more
An estimated 20 per cent of Canadians regularly use natural remedies because they believe they are safer than man-made pharmaceuticals, according to David Bailey, a clinical pharmacologist at the University of Western Ontario.
"That is simply not true," he says. "Many of our most potent medications and toxic substances are derived from plants."
Health Canada tries to keep up with new products through its Natural Health Products Directorate. Products that meet the agency's criteria for safety, efficacy and quality get a licence and an eight-digit Natural Product Number. All 50,000 natural health products for sale in Canada must have an NPN by 2010. ...more
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
