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Red tape reduction for natural health products should not be held up by unnecessary new legislation
OTTAWA, Feb. 8, 2012, 2012 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) --
Consumer Health Products Canada, the
association representing makers of the natural health products (NHPs)
and OTC medicines that Canadians use in the practice of self-care,
warned that calls by a health food retailer association for new
legislation will only undermine the effort to reduce unnecessary red
tape and provide Canadians with access to safe, high quality natural
health products.
"Much has been accomplished by Health Canada under the new Natural
Health Products Regulations," said CHP Canada spokesperson Gerry
Harrington, "Over 50,000 products have been legally authorized for
sale, including many thousands that could not have been made available
legally under the old rules. Nonetheless, CHP Canada strongly supports
the recommendations of the Red Tape Reduction Commission, many of which
are already being addressed by Health Canada, because they will make
the administration of those regulations much more efficient."
CHP Canada's concern over the Canadian Health Food Association's call
for a new law is that it would both be completely unnecessary and delay
full implementation of the Natural Health Products Regulations and the
Red Tape Reduction Commission's recommendations. "It would be
completely counter-productive to put the business of improving the
regulatory environment for these products on hold while Parliament
debates a new and unnecessary piece of legislation," said Harrington.
The first priority in the regulation of NHPs is protecting the health of
those Canadians who practice self-care in the management of their own
health with these products. CHP Canada's members, the companies that
make these products, also benefit from a strong regulatory system
because it builds consumer confidence in the safety, quality and
effectiveness of NHPs, while maintaining a level playing field for the
industry. One concern is that delays in the full enforcement of the
new regulations may undermine consumer confidence as noncompliant
products continue to appear on store shelves alongside licensed
products. In fact, a survey conducted for Health Canada in 2010 showed
that consumer confidence in NHPs has, in fact, declined slightly since
the regulations were introduced in 2004. Ironically, this trend may
also be reflected in the survey cited by the Canadian Health Food
Association(1) to support their call for new legislation, which shows that a majority
of Canadians want tighter restrictions on NHPs.
CHP Canada believes that enforcement of the existing rules, while
implementing the recommendations of the Red Tape Reduction Commission,
is the best way of addressing the needs of self-care practicing
Canadians while providing a stable and predictable environment for the
growth of the industry.
CHP Canada is a 115 year-old trade association representing the consumer
health products industry, including the manufacturers of natural health
products and over-the-counter remedies.
_____________________________
(1) Final Report, National Omnibus, Canadian Health Food Association,
accessed online January 7, 2012 http://www.chfa.ca/Portals/0/CONTENT/2011/Communications/Media%20Release/2011.11.15.6125%20R%20-%20CHFA%20Omnibus.pdf
To view this news release in HTML formatting, please use the following URL: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2012/08/c2551.html
SOURCE: Consumer Health Products Canada/CHP Canada
or to schedule an interview, please contact: Gerry Harrington Director of Public
Affairs Consumer Health Products Canada Tel: (613) 723-0777 Fax: (613) 723-0779 Cell:
(613) 863-3716 e-mail:gerry.harrington@chpcanada.ca www.chpcanada.ca
www.twitter.com/CHP_Can
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