HealthandDiets.com - Alternative medicine rules tightened

Alternative medicine rules tightened...KEYWORDS: alternative medicine news The Federal Government has announced a major overhaul of the regulations governing the $800 million a year alternative medicine industry.

The mass recall of complementary medicines by Pan Pharmaceuticals in 2003 sparked an expert review of the sector. It found many potentially toxic herbal ingredients sold in Australia have not been subject to detailed study. The Government has now responded to the findings, saying its changes should help restore confidence in the sector. It plans to crack down on claims of the alleged benefits of alternative medicines; new guidelines will be closely monitored by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). There will be increased penalties for those refusing to provide the TGA with information to back their claims. There will also be further reviews of homeopathic and herbal medicines, raw herbs and other ingredients used in medicinal compounds.