A critical few weeks for herbal medicine

A quarter of the UK public use herbal remedies each year. The government faces a vital decision about whether to make herbalists and acupuncturists statutorily regulated or not - public consultation on the subject ended on 16th November 2009.  

Statutory regulation will lead to greater safety for the public and greater accountability for both professions.  Previous government consultations, stretching back 10 years, have been in favour of regulation.

A second issue is the change to herbal registration due in April 2011.  After that date, only regulated practitioners will be able to prescribe unregistered herbs.  If herbalists are not regulated, the public may lose access to a whole swathe of prescriptions.  Some will turn to the internet and risk buying unsafe remedies. 

We are urgently calling for the government to agree to statutory regulation.  Below, see our position statement and find out what you can do.

Act now

The Department of Health's consultation period has now passed.  But you can still write to your MP  letting them know how you use herbal medicine and acupuncture and what the consequences would be if regulation is not agreed.

Our position statement

Why we support the statutory regulation of herbalism and acupuncture. Read our position statement here.

Why herbalists and acupuncturists should be statutorily regulated

 We have responded to the Department of Health's consultation explaining why it is vital for herbalists to be statutorily regulated and the consequences if they are not.  Read our submission here.

Why is the regulation of herbs so important?

 Natural doesn't always mean safe. The MHRA explains why herbs may sometimes be dangerous if not properly regulated

Changes to herb registration from April 2011

From 30 April 2011, manufactured herbal medicines placed on the UK market are required to have either a traditional herbal registration or a product licence/marketing authorisation. Find out more here.

Herbal monographs from the European Medicines Agency committee

Monographs produced by EMAC bring together the evidence base and safety information for the use of some herbs.  They are a useful resource for manufacturers bringing a herbal product to market.