Natural Health Products: 53 Recommendations of the Standing Committee on Health

Recommendations re: Informed Choice

42. Health Canada immediately utilise existing formats and forums for more open and transparent communication on NHPs with the broader public and practitioners.

Status:

1. The NHPD has already widely consulted on the regulatory framework and continues to meet regularly with various consumer, industry, professional or practitioner groups.
2. The Health Canada website is another tool used to keep Canadians up- to-date with developments within the NHPD.
3. The NHPD has also developed an electronic newsletter, and sends electronic updates and messages to anyone who has provided us with their e-mail address.
4. Health Canada issues documents such as "Warnings" and "Advisories" to inform Canadians about certain issues.
5. The NHPD is committed to operating in an open and transparent manner on an ongoing basis.
6. The NHPD will hold public education and outreach sessions to inform Canadians about the new regulatory framework for natural health products.

43. Communication efforts include details about decisions and actions regarding NHP products (removal from market, change of status, etc.).

Status:

1. The NHPD will continue to operate in an open and transparent manner, including in situations where decisions about the status of some products have changed.

44. Relevant consumer, industry and practitioner groups be consulted on a regular basis about the nature of the required information.

Status:

1. The entire development of the regulatory framework, from the Regulations, to the requirements regarding Good Manufacturing Practices, to the development of appropriate Standards of Evidence has been elaborated through open and regular consultations with all interested Canadians.
2. The NHPD will continue to work in this transparent and inclusive manner.
3. NHPD will be developing an outreach and communication strategy to inform stakeholders, including consumers, about the nature of future issues related to NHPs, appropriate warnings if needed and the corrective measures, when applicable.

45. The federal government research bodies, including Health Canada, begin immediately to encourage research on NHPs. This could include studies focussing on the interactions of herbal products with conventional medications as well as studies that explore different uses by various groups in Canada.

Status:

1. The NHPD invited stakeholders from across the country to a session in Halifax in November 1999 to establish research priorities.
2. A second consultation session was organized in February 2002 by the NHPD to establish research priorities, particularly drug/NHP interactions.
3. In Vancouver, in February 2002, the NHPD conducted a consultation about the type of research that is needed to allow identification of different components in herbals products, such as active ingredients, markers, and others.
4. The NHPD has formed a partnership with Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to support new training programs for researchers interested in the field of NHPs.
5. In November and December 2002, the NHPD funded an environmental scan of all researchers involved in NHPs in Canada.
6. In March 2003, the NHPD conducted an initial meeting of key researchers in NHPs in Canada.
7. In the fall of 2003, the NHPD intends to conduct a major national conference on NHP research.

46. Health Canada undertake, through its various established avenues, the dissemination of the resulting information to health care professionals and consumers.

Status:

1. Health Canada regularly communicates with various health care practitioners and other stakeholders via different publications, such as:
   1. The Health Canada website where the following documents can be located: advisories for health care professionals and consumers and Canadian adverse reaction newsletters;
   2. Health Canada issues letters directed to health care practitioners.
2. Representatives of the NHPD regularly make presentations to different stakeholders groups, including health care practitioner groups.
3. The NHPD has developed an electronic newsletter which is sent periodically to individuals or groups who are interested in being informed of any development in the field of NHPs. This tool is very useful and efficient in providing information in a timely manner.