Last month, an editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal called for the federal government to regulate natural health products (NHPs), citing them as doing “more harm than good” for patients. Members of the natural health industry have contested this claim, hoping to raise public awareness about the benefits of natural remedies.
The aforementioned editorial states, “The double standard perpetuated by both regulators and retailers that enables the deception of unsuspecting Canadians must end … Alternative medicines with claims based on alternative facts do not deserve an alternative, easy regulatory road to market.”
However, Shawn O’Reilly, executive director of the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND), notes that the editorial doesn’t properly discuss the “robust” standards that NHPs must undergo before being sold to the public.
What’s more, pharmacist Mike Hannalah adds that he sells no NHPs without a natural product number (NPN) from Health Canada.
“To me, it’s the same kind of safety measures,” Hannalah told the CBC. “I do feel comfortable as a practitioner, as a pharmacist, to dispense those natural health products that meet those requirements.”
With organizations, researchers, and wrongly informed individuals making detrimental statements about the natural health product industry, it is absolutely essential for members of the industry to educate the public. Holding in-store education sessions, speaking to customers, and properly addressing clients are excellent ways to reach out to—and inform—Canadians about the safety of our practice.
