The natural health community has stood up against the Canadian government several times before. Each time individual citizens, simultaneously taking personal responsibility and collective action, are the reason that our government has backed down on their proposed restrictions to natural health products. As citizens, we cannot forget how powerful we are. NHPPA urgently needs your support to engage your family and friends in an effort to protect the natural health industry, including your access to natural health products, in the face of Health Canada’s Self-Care Framework and Cost Recovery initiatives.
By uniting with the NHPPA and joining our Citizens Network, you’re not just safeguarding the access to natural health products that you value – you’re protecting your health freedom!
Your influence can help repeal restrictive legislation, halt exorbitant fees, and maintain fair product regulation. Empower yourself and your community—join NHPPA’s Citizens Network to protect the future of natural health products in Canada!
The Self-care Framework is a multi-step initiative set into motion by Health Canada in 2017 with an end goal of harmonizing our natural health product regulations with the pharmaceutical model. If achieved, this will result in the loss of countless natural health products and increased prices on products that remain.
Cost Recovery is being imposed on the natural product industry. Businesses will be charged significant annual fees to license and manufacture their products. This will result in the loss of many products and Canadian businesses who cannot afford these fees. The fees are to come into effect on December 1 2025.
Vanessa’s Law now applies to natural health products, resulting from definition changes in the annual budget bill (Bill C-47), passed on June 22 2023. Vanessa’s Law empowers Health Canada to order recalls, impose tougher penalties, and require companies to change labels or run expensive tests at their whim. It’s important to note that Vanessa’s Law was designed for pharmaceutical drugs and was never intended to apply to natural health products.
Under Vanessa’s Law, Health Canada now has the power to levy fines up to $5,000,000 per day against the natural health industry for offences such as labelling errors or advertising a products use outside of the Health-Canada-approved label claims. Previously, the fine for noncompliance was $5000 per offence. A $5,000,000 penalty is appropriate for the pharmaceutical industry, but will only serve to destroy natural product companies and silence retaliation.
Still to come in the Self-care Framework, Health Canada intends to:
Health Canada is imposing stricter regulations and new fees on natural health product (NHP) manufacturers which will increase prices and cause the loss of products because manufacturers will be unable or unwilling to afford licensing.
If NHPs are unable to rely on traditional use evidence in the licensing process, we will lose products. For example, “ginger is traditionally used to treat nausea” would no longer be an acceptable label claim under Health Canada’s Self-Care Framework.
Under Health Canada’s Self-Care Framework, label claims for NHPs are restricted to conditions for which you would not seek the advice of a health care practitioner licensed by the province. That means NHPs could no longer be licensed for many of the ailments that Canadians currently can choose to manage naturally.
These fines can be imposed for violating the laws on NHPs (such as communicating product uses outside of the label claims). Prior to June 22, 2023, the maximum fine you faced for violating the laws on NHPs was $5,000. Now it is $5,000,000 a day. How could any natural health product business withstand $5,000,000 per day fines?
Manufacturers and natural health product retailers will be limited to communicating product uses based on the approved label claims. This will interfere with your ability to learn about the other uses of natural health products.
We invite you to use your voice and influence to champion NHPPA’s goals and empower your friends and family to get involved in this important movement.
We have created a number of materials for you to share with your loved ones that will spread awareness and provide easy ways to take action. There are a few downloadable documents available below, and when you fill out this form we will send you a comprehensive Citizen Action Kit with exclusive materials including pre-written email content, social media content to share and inspire action, along with printable posters and postcards to display in your windows or give out at events.
Thank you for taking action.
By joining our citizen network, you will make a significant impact at this critical time.
