Herbal remedies scare report: let’s get the facts straight
Setting the record straight on the recent scare report on herbal medicines by a South Australian academic, the Complementary HealthCare Council of Australia (CHC) said that much of the report was ill-informed, misleading and irresponsible — and most importantly, not relevant to complementary medicine products sold in Australia, which are among the most tightly regulated in the world.
The organisation warns Australian consumers to be aware of the real dangers of buying herbal or other complementary medicine (CM) products when overseas or via websites based in other countries, where safety and quality standards often are considered to be inferior to those imposed in Australia.
But the CHC also says GPs have been burying their heads in the sand for far too long and should make it their business to improve their knowledge of complementary medicines and potential drug-CM interactions — and to be more open with their patients.
CHC Executive Director Dr Wendy Morrow said: ‘The report does not compare apples with apples. It has spread unwarranted alarm around the country but looks mainly at herbal products in the United States, where the standard of regulation is considerably lower. The report also states that access to such products is largely unrestricted, ignoring the fact that Australia has one of the most highly regulated environments in the world for complementary medicine products, and operates under strict safety and quality regulations set by the Australian Government’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).’
Dr Morrow says GPs and other healthcare practitioners should make the effort to climb the tree of knowledge on complementary medicines, recognising the fact that almost 75 per cent of Australians use some type of CM product: ‘I know of GPs and naturopaths, for example, who run joint practices, working closely to ensure the best health outcomes for their patients. GPs and other health professionals also have a responsibility to be more open with their patients and to be across the appropriate information on CMs.’
However, the CHC stresses that care should always be exercised — as with any type of medicine — when there is potential for interactions between pharmaceutical drugs, herbs or other medications.
Dr Morrow says: ‘Consumers have a personal responsibility for the medicines they take. We urge those taking complementary medicines to seek advice from their healthcare practitioners before combining these with other medicines — and to ensure they disclose their use to their healthcare professional. If concerned about the quality and safety of products, they should look at the labels: if manufactured by a laboratory licensed by the TGA, they will be marked Registered ‘Aust R’ or Listed ‘Aust L’.’
Listed complementary medicines are considered low-risk and companies wishing to register such products for sale must hold information on their safety and efficacy. Registered medicines are considered to be higher-risk due to the type of ingredient(s) in the product or the claim being made about the product. These products undergo a full evaluation of safety, efficacy and quality before going on the market.
