Regulating herbal medicine

Herbal medicines can be dangerous if they are contaminated or adultered.  There have also been  occasions when one safe herb has been mistakenly exchanged for a very damaging one with a similar name.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) would like to tighten legislation so there’s less risk of dangerous herbs finding their way into prescriptions. FIH held a well-attended open meeting on 25th January 2007 to hear more from the MHRA about its proposals to alter Section 12 (1) of the Medicines Act. 


You can read a presentation from the MHRA on herbal regulation (2583 kb) [ppt].  It gives a very clear account of complex policy issues. 

There's also a very detailed description of how the Medicines Act might change on the MHRA website.