Natural meds proof fear
Labelling plan sparks backlash
THE Therapeutic Goods Administration has been slammed for a radical proposal that will make it easier for traditional and alternative medicines to make health claims without any scientific proof.
The TGA is pushing for new labelling requirements for traditional medicines that would allow products to claim they can treat heart and liver conditions by balancing a person’s Yin and Yang or trigger rapid weight loss with herbs.
But the move has been slammed by industry experts including Monash University researcher Dr Ken Harvey who said the average consumer would mistakenly believe products had been approved by the TGA on scientific merits.
“My concern is that the TGA is encouraging the industry to evade the need to prove their products work,” Dr Harvey said.
“For consumers to make an informed choice about these medicines the TGA should require products to show a disclaimer that there is no good scientific evidence that the product works.
“It is also concerning that the TGA allowed these companies to have significant input into creating the list.”
The reforms are included in the Therapeutic Goods Amendment Bill, which is being debated in the Senate.
Several consumer advocacy groups including Choice and the Consumers Health Forum of Australia have warned the reforms would allow unscrupulous companies to “embellish” medical claims.
In formal submissions to the Senate they called for clear disclaimers to be mandatory on all complementary medical products.
“Our concern is that the limitations of this list of per- NEWTOWN naturopath Rob Claridge has backed a plan by the Therapeutic Goods Administration to allow natural medicine to carry labels spruiking its benefits.
But Mr Claridge, pictured, warned the medication still needed to be prescribed by a properly qualified professional.
He said self-prescription of natural medicines meant mitted indications may not be understood by many consumers and it may give them some misplaced confidence in the evidence behind the list,” The Consumers Health Forum of Australia told the Senate inquiry.
“There should be a disclaimer on all listed complementary medicines making it companies could push the envelope when it came to product marketing.
“If people are self-prescribing there should be disclaimers everywhere. When it comes to true scientific testing for natural medicine there isn’t as much investment (in testing when compared to pharmaceuticals),” Mr Claridge said.
“You slowly but surely see natural medicine being justified but it’s being done at a slower rate (than pharmaceuticals) clear that the efficacy claims had not been independently verified, then this would not be such a problem.”
A TGA spokeswoman said “traditional” medicines would be required to include an “advisory statement” for consumers to consult a “traditional medicine practitioner”.
“Complementary medicines because of the financial drivers not being there.
“In traditional medicine, whether it be Chinese or Ayurvedic medicine, there are processes which have stood the test of time and worked for thousands of years, and now we are having to justify those but they are already proven day to day.
“We’ve got things which are proven empirically. We know they are safe because for thousands of years we’ve not can encompass a wide range of products, with varying degrees and sources of evidence on their efficacy, and a history of use related to cultural and traditional values as well as on the basis of consumer health preferences,” a TGA spokeswoman said.
“The reforms introduce a new mandatory requirement been watching people going down with sickness because of their use. History has shown that (natural medicine) is fundamentally safe.”
Mr Claridge said treatment using natural medicine focused on the causes of an illness rather than a patient’s symptoms.
“If 10 patients came to see me with asthma they would all get different treatment because what got them to their asthma is probably different.” for listed medicines to identify the evidence base both on their label and on the Register of Therapeutic Goods, eg ‘traditionally used in western herbal medicine’or ‘traditionally used in Chinese medicine’.”
Health Minister Greg Hunt defended the bill saying the labels would provide consumers with more information. “These reforms provide consumers with more information, including for traditional medicine product,” he said.
The Senate was also told the TGA allowed companies to help finalise 879 traditional medical claims which would be given advertising approval without an application.