The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7356 p7
2 July 2005

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Homoeopathic packs may carry indications

Marketing claims to treat minor self-limiting conditions will be allowed on the packaging of homoeopathic medicines, if proposals from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency are accepted.

The MHRA has started public consultation on a national rules scheme, allowed under new European legislation, that will allow prepackaged homoeopathic medicines to include a list of authorised indications.

The plans are set out in consultation letter MLX 312. The consultation closes on 13 September.

Currently, homoeopathic medicines have licences of right that predate the Medicines Act 1968 or have been authorised under a “simplified scheme” that does not allow labelling with indications.

This means that different products with the same ingredient can be labelled with or without indications depending on when they were first licensed.

Robert Wilson, chairman of homoeopathic supplier Nelsonbach, said: “The fact that therapeutic indications may now be included on the packaging of licensed homoeopathic medicines not only opens the practice of homoeopathy to new users, but also gives it added credibility as a safe and natural complement to orthodox medicine.”

Herbal consultation Consultation on plans to implement European legislation on traditional herbal medicines has been started by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. The legislation was subject to extended consultation in 2002 (PJ, 6 April 2002, p454). The MHRA now plans to implement it unembellished. The consultation (MLX 325) closes on 8 September.