South Africa regulates CAM products

[Octavo]

Very occassionally government manages to produce legislation that actually makes sense:

http://www.health24.com/Natural/News/Are-alternative-medicines-in-trouble-20140903

From the article:

CAMs used in alternative medical disciplines such as homeopathy, naturopathy, Ayurveda, osteopathy, phytotherapy and aromatherapyare included in a new category of regulated medicines, called category D.

All existing and new CAMs must be submitted to the MCC* for safety, quality and efficacy assessment and registration.

All category D medicines must be appropriately labelled and any product not registered with the MCC must carry a label declaring: “This medicine has not been evaluated by the Medicines Control Council. This medicine is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease”.

Of course the industry has erupted into a rage-filled sea of indignation and are suing the minister of health. Personally I think this legislation is long overdue - especially the mandated warning labels.

What do you think? Does your country have similar legislation? Does this make sense?

*MCC - Medicines Control Council

 

[Red Baron Farms]

I thought homeopathy only used water? Is water a CAM and require labeling in SA now?

 

[Mojo]

I thought homeopathy only used water?

No, it uses alcohol and sugar pills as well. And some remedies will have detectable amounts of the starting material present. For example, 6X, a 1 in 1,000,000 dilution is commonly used. Apparently there are homoeopaths who only use such "low potency" remedies, although I've yet to actually spot one.

Is water a CAM and require labeling in SA now?

Nope, but water that is claimed to cure disease is.

 

[Red Baron Farms]

Nope, but water that is claimed to cure disease is.

The quote said, "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease". Water is probably the most used of any material in all of conventional medicine to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease". True that conventional medicine doesn't use water like homeopathy. But they most certainly use water, and copious amounts of it too. Washing, irrigating, IV, drinking, pretty much the vast majority of all medical procedures large and small involve water.

 

[Donn]

I wonder what the label for Category D is?

(A miracle for SA medicine, to be sure, but give the government time, they'll stuff it up somehow.)

 

[Octavo]

I wonder what the label for Category D is?

(A miracle for SA medicine, to be sure, but give the government time, they'll stuff it up somehow.)

I'm not sure there'll actually be one, however I suspect the requirement for registration with the MCC will be fairly onerus and not something a lot of the manufacturers will actually bother with, since I believe it involves submitting actual evidence for the claims made of the product.

My cynicism for the South African government is approaching black hole proportions, but every now and then I'm reminded that we actually have pretty progressive laws and we're heading in the right direction - even if enforcement and nearly everything else is going the other way.

 

[Donn]

But it says: "CAMs used in alternative medical disciplines such as homeopathy, naturopathy, Ayurveda, osteopathy, phytotherapy and aromatherapy are included in a new category of regulated medicines, called category D."

So, it looks like all those woo meds are already in Cat D. Seems like a free pass to me.

I'll keep an eye on the scandalous load of crap that weighs the shelves in the local pharmacy and see what changes.

(I've already had a fight with the pharmacist who sneaks homeopathy into injections as a "booster" and then adds 58 bucks to the price tag!)

Thanks for the heads-up on this news.

 

[Octavo]

But it says: "CAMs used in alternative medical disciplines such as homeopathy, naturopathy, Ayurveda, osteopathy, phytotherapy and aromatherapy are included in a new category of regulated medicines, called category D."

So, it looks like all those woo meds are already in Cat D. Seems like a free pass to me.

I'll keep an eye on the scandalous load of crap that weighs the shelves in the local pharmacy and see what changes.

(I've already had a fight with the pharmacist who sneaks homeopathy into injections as a "booster" and then adds 58 bucks to the price tag!)

Thanks for the heads-up on this news.

Oh wow - I completely missed that you're a local

I read it differently - in order to fall into any category the "medicine" has to be registered with the MCC (the MCC determines the appropriate category). The MMC has created a new Cat D for CAM medicines.

All existing and new CAMs must be submitted to the MCC for safety, quality and efficacy assessment and registration

 

[Donn]

Ah, that sounds a bit more hopeful. Thanks again. Yes, a local, but not a city boy! I like the berg and the baboons.