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Letters

Natural health products, complementary and alternative medicine, and Health Canada

H.C. George Wong
CMAJ October 10, 2017 189 (40) E1268; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.733307
H.C. George Wong
Clinical Professor, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
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An editorial published in CMAJ makes an important recommendation to separate the sale of natural health products, and complementary and alternative medicines.1 There are at least two issues regarding their sale: efficacy/indication and adverse effects.

Health Canada should consider requiring a label on all homeopathic medicines, similar to the label required for those sold in Europe, that states: “A homeopathic medicinal product without approved therapeutic indications.”2,3 This should be enforced until the efficacy of the specific homeopathic medicine is established, based on scientific evidence.

Ephedrine/ephedra is a complementary and alternative medicine that was banned for sale by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2004 because of cardiac and neurologic complications and death. However, Health Canada continues to allow its sale with fewer restrictions than those proposed by the US FDA in 1997.4

Health Canada should move quickly to follow the recommendation made by Dr. Stanbrook in his editorial and others who are concerned for the health of Canadians.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None declared.

References

  1. ↵
    1. Stanbrook M
    . Natural health products should be sold separately from drugs. CMAJ 2017;189:E848.
    OpenUrlFREE Full Text
  2. ↵
    1. Wong HCG
    . Homeopathic medicine (arsenic and aconite) and Health Canada [letter]. BCMJ 2012; 54:66.
    OpenUrl
  3. ↵
    1. Wong HCG
    . Re: Homeopathic medicinal products [letter]. BCMJ 2012;54:279.
    OpenUrl
  4. ↵
    1. Wong HCG
    . Ephedrine: FDA and Health Canada [letter]. BCMJ 2011;53:262.
    OpenUrl
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Canadian Medical Association Journal: 189 (40)
CMAJ
Vol. 189, Issue 40
10 Oct 2017
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Natural health products, complementary and alternative medicine, and Health Canada
H.C. George Wong
CMAJ Oct 2017, 189 (40) E1268; DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.733307

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Natural health products, complementary and alternative medicine, and Health Canada
H.C. George Wong
CMAJ Oct 2017, 189 (40) E1268; DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.733307
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