Government increases options for natural health products

Parliamentary Secretary of Health Colin Carrie today announced changes to the classification of 10 naturally sourced ingredients making them eligible for inclusion in natural health products.

The 10 ingredients include minerals, oils and salts which are used in traditional medicine and in Western natural health product formulations to maintain and improve health.  These ingredients had previously been restricted to products available by prescription.

"Our government recognizes that Canadians want to be able to choose from a wide range of safe and effective health products, and manufacturers want to meet that need," said Parliamentary Secretary Carrie.

"With this change — the number and variety of available natural health products will continue to grow — and consumers can continue to have confidence in the authorized products they choose."

More than 50,000 natural health products are already authorized for sale in Canada. With this change in classification, the following 10 ingredients will no longer be restricted to prescription products only and will become eligible, under certain conditions, for authorization under the Natural Health Products Regulations.

• Oil of apiol
• Centella asiatica
• Deanol and its salts
• Theobromine and its salts
• Dopamine and its salts
• Gold and its salts
• Uracil and its salts
• Dimethyl Sulfoxide
• Levocarnitine
• L-Tryptophan

Health Canada has reviewed evidence indicating that these medicinal ingredients are suitable for use without a prescription.