The New Drug Approval Process Will Squash Natural Health Products

According to Shawn Buckley, “Our drug laws are not there to get good health outcomes… Our drug laws are there to protect patent holders”.

Health Canada’s Self-Care Framework will require all therapeutic products, including natural health products, to go through the new drug approval process in order to make a health claim related to serious health conditions. But this process is built for patented chemical drugs, not natural products.

Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, natural health products cannot be patented, meaning manufacturers won’t be able to recover the enormous costs of going through this new drug approval process. Without the ability to afford these new approval standards, they won’t be licensed for serious conditions like heart disease or arthritis, leaving pharmaceutical drugs as your only option when consulting a doctor.

In the late 1990s, the Standing Committee on Health recognized this and stressed the need to keep natural health products and pharmaceutical drugs in separate regulatory categories to safeguard our access. Despite this, Health Canada continues to push for harmonized regulations between natural health products and pharmaceuticals.

To stay informed and take action, subscribe to our email newsletter. We provide essential updates on the natural health industry and offer simple ways for you to get involved and make a difference.

Subscribe Now

This clip is from a recent interview between Shawn Buckley and Carolyn Betts. Watch the full conversation here.

Watch Now
Share this:

Recent Posts