Volume 1, Issue 11, 04/02/2009
Why are natural or herbal medicines not regulated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) when many have mechanisms of action similar to prescription medications?
Periodically, Pharmacology Weekly will devote an issue to explaining common principles related to the purposes and information contained in the Natural Medicines Newsletters. It is our desire to provide busy clinicians with the facts that they need, as well as the foundational knowledge that each newsletter builds upon. The question above is a fairly common question and helps to put the regulation and use of natural medicines by the public into perspective.
Compared to most developed nations in the world, the United States of America does not utilize natural or herbal medicines to the same degree for treatment of common illnesses. However, this is changing as sales exceeded $4 billion annually in the US alone.(1) In December 2008, the National Institutes of Health (NIH): National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the National Center for Health Statistics (a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)) released their report showing that 38% of adults in the U.S. and nearly 12% of children (<17 years of age) use some form of complementary and alternative medicine.(2) This included dietary supplements, probiotics, natural medicines, chiropractic care, massage therapy and yoga. In U.S. children, the most common ailments prompting the use of these forms of treatment included back or neck pain, head and chest colds, anxiety or stress, musculoskeletal problems and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.(2) So, why aren't natural medicines regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) if their use for treatment of conditions typically treated by prescription medications is increasing? ........To read the full answer please LOGIN or SUBSCRIBE NOW.
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