You play a vital role in keeping Canadians healthy, and it’s essential that you can continue to do so, without interruption. We urgently need your support to protect the natural health industry, including your profession, in the face of Health Canada’s Self-Care Framework and Cost Recovery initiatives.
By uniting with the NHPPA and joining our practitioner network, you’re not just safeguarding the access to natural health products that your clients or patients value – you’re preserving your practice!
Your influence can help repeal restrictive legislation, halt exorbitant fees, and maintain fair product regulation. Empower yourself and your community—join NHPPA’s practitioner network to help ensure your continued ability to practice 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 increase 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 April 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 that you are found to be in offence. 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 the very ailments you currently support your clients and patients to manage naturally.
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.
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. These fines apply to all directors and employees within NHP businesses, whereas they used to only apply to corporations. How could any of us withstand $5,000,000 per day fines?
We invite you to use your voice and influence to champion NHPPA’s goals and empower your community to get involved in this important movement.
By joining our practitioner network, you will make a significant impact at this critical time.
We have created a number of materials for you to share with your community that will spread awareness and provide your clients with easy ways to take action. Several downloads are available to you below, at no cost, and if you fill out this form we will send you a comprehensive Practitioner Action Kit with exclusive materials including pre-written email newsletters for your community and social media content to educate and inspire action.
Thank you for taking action.
Your commitment will make a significant impact in this critical time.
