From https://globalnews.ca/news/9722100/ottawa-natural-health-products-budget-2023/

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Ottawa’s plan to track ill effects of natural health products caught industry ‘off guard’

By Laura Osman The Canadian Press
Posted May 25, 2023

https://globalnews.ca/video/rd/0e873e54-cf46-11ed-bfe7-0242ac110004/?jwsource=cl

A new plan to force hospitals to report adverse effects of “natural health products” such as herbal remedies and supplements has come as a surprise to manufacturers, who say they were blindsided by the proposed change.

The federal government included the plan in the 2023 budget bill, which is still making its way through the House of Commons.

It would see natural health products fall under the same category as pharmaceuticals when it comes to how they are monitored once they are on the market.

They would be incorporated into Vanessa’s Law, which was passed in 2014 to improve the reporting of adverse health reactions.

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While natural health products are considered lower-risk than some prescription drugs, the Canadian Pharmacists Association has repeatedly tried to reinforce that there is still some risk in using them.

Ginseng, for example, which is often used in hopes of boosting the immune system, has been associated with some cases of increased blood pressure, the association’s Barry Power told Senators at committee this month.

He also pointed to cases of bleeding associated with ginkgo biloba, which is thought to increase memory function – a potentially serious side-effect for older people who also use anticoagulants that thin the blood.

The plan outlined in the budget is the latest in several regulatory changes the government has introduced to tighten rules about how products are marketed and sold to Canadians, including changes to the way products are labelled.

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