Indeed,
in the weeks following the recall, the prospect of preserving industry
viability looked severely threatened.
Consumer confidence and belief in natural healthcare , however,
has meant that the 70% of Australians who use complementary medicine
have returned and continue to purchase, and industry has substantially
recovered.
Eight months after the recall, the problem for companies is securing
supply and maintaining stock.
Many products are still unavailable.
The findings
and recommendations of the committee are now out for public consultation
and the Complementary Healthcare Council of Australia (CHC) is
preparing its response, in consultation with its members.
The Committee
recognised the importance of complementary medicine in the health
system and acknowledged that they may offer lower risk and more
cost-effective options for the prevention and treatment of some
diseases.
The Committee also recognised the strengths of the Australian
regulatory model, a model which has been praised by other regulatory
bodies; they have recommended that the current two tiered, risk-based
system be maintained, but with some enhancements.
CHC has supported an appropriate risk-based system, and has recommended
that the system would be strengthened by the recruitment of officers
with appropriate skills and training in complementary healthcare.
It is vital that industry is fully involved in the development
of proposed enhancements.
The Committee
has recommended that a summary of evidence should be submitted
to support the efficacy of listed products.
It is currently a legal requirement that sponsors hold evidence
to support the claims they make for a product; and provision of
a simple bibliography will result in increased administrative
costs, but should not be a major impost to sponsors.
It is not clear at this stage, however, as to what format or summary
will be required, or what the Therapeutic Goods Administration
(TGA) will do with the information.
A number of
the Committee's findings reflect some of the recommendations made
by CHC in their submission to the review - more appropriate regulation
of homoeopathic preparations and herbal ingredients.
* availability of illegal, potentially unsafe complementary medicines
has the potential to seriously undermine the whole of the complementary
medicine sector, and stronger action is required to remove these
products from the marketplace in a timely manner.
* inconsistency between State and Territory legislation provides
loopholes that create an uneven playing field; nationally consistent
regulations are required.
The Committee
has recommended that the Government be more active in ensuring
consumers have better access to reliable information about complementary
medicines.
CHC believes that provision of balanced, accurate information
would empower consumers to take greater responsibility for their
health by making informed choices.
Complementary medicines face some unique challenges in being able
to present information at the point of sale; CHC recommends that
an on-line consumer information service be established in consultation
with industry to provide consumers with balanced, factual information
on natural health care.
Significant
findings by the Committee on research into complementary medicines
resulted in a number of worthwhile recommendations that could
improve innovation and increase the viability of the industry.
The Committee found that incentives are needed to encourage innovation
and research in complementary medicines, and recommended that
government dedicate funding for this research.
A per capita equivalent to the sort of funding now available in
the USA for complementary medicine research is suggested.
CHC would like to see the establishment of a National Centre of
Natural Healthcare which focuses on research, education and health
economics.
CHC believes that one research priority should be a pharmacoeconomic
analysis of the potential cost benefits associated with an increased
usage of complementary medicine by Australians.
The Expert
Committee's recommendations support the findings of the 1999 Wills
Report on medical research in Australia, which reported that complementary
medicine is in need of capacity building.
The committee noted the disparity between public funding of drug
research and complementary medicine research.
The report
of the Expert Committee should result in a number of positive
changes to the regulation of complementary medicine/s in Australia.
Complementary medicine has become mainstream and can no longer
be viewed as 'alternative' medicine.
This sector now has membership of the Australian Pharmaceutical
Advisory Council, and it is likely that representation on the
Council will increase.
Registration of natural therapists is now one step closer.
The mechanism for reporting adverse reactions will be enhanced.
With increased
regulation will come increased costs.
It is essential that industry be involved in the consultation
process and in the implementation of the committee's recommendations,
and CHC looks forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure
regulation is fair, robust, justified, cost effective and capable
of maintaining a viable and innovative industry.
Val
Johanson
Executive Director, Complementary Healthcare Council
Looking forward to sharing a peaceful festive season and a rational
new year
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