Olivia Mitchell
Question:315 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children his plans to draw up regulations or standards for alternative health products. [7864/02]
Vol. 550 No. 2
315 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children his plans to draw up regulations or standards for alternative health products. [7864/02]
On Wednesday, 23 January 2002, I received the Irish Medicine Board's report entitled "Herbal Medicines Project Final Report". This report is currently being considered in my Department.
In June 2000, in the light of difficulties in the licensing of herbal medicinal products under current medicines legislation, particularly in relation to proving efficacy in accordance with existing EU requirements, I requested the Irish Medicines Board to develop a proposal for an interim national licensing system for ‘traditional and alternative medicinal products, including herbal medicinal products'. A herbal medicines project manager was appointed to the IMB in September 2000 and a press advertisement was placed on 29 September 2000 in three national newspapers outlining the aim of the project and inviting public comment on all aspects of a possible interim national licensing scheme for traditional, alternative and/or herbal medicinal products. The total number of submissions received by the IMB was 41, all of which were accepted and reviewed. In addition, the IMB formally contacted those organisations known to it to have an interest in herbal medicines as follows: Consumers for Health Choice – CHC; Health Products Alliance – HPA; Irish Association of Health Stores – IAHS; Irish Association of Medicinal Herbalists – IAMH; Irish Health Trade Association – IHTA; Irish Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine – IRCHM.
The Professional Register of Traditional Chinese Medicine, PRTCM, also contacted the IMB directly and was duly invited to make a submission.