Health Canada claims the Self-Care Framework will improve the safety of natural health products (NHPs) and protect Canadians.
NHP’s in Canada are already properly regulated and boast a high safety profile. Unlike in the USA, where NHPs are unregulated, Canada ensures the safety of these products through stringent regulations.
If NHP’s posed a true risk, we’d see numerous safety issues arise in the USA, but that’s not the case. Canada’s system is so effective that other countries have adopted similar structures, recognizing it as one of the best in the world.
In Canada, every product on the market is pre-approved by Health Canada and assigned a Natural Product Number (NPN).
Additionally, Health Canada already possesses extensive powers to address any non-compliance issues. They can:
- Order the stop-sale of any product
- Revoke the license of any product
- Seize any product
- Conduct random site inspections at any time
If Health Canada’s Self-Care Framework is implemented, Canadians will lose diversity and availability of their NHP’s.
