New UK Committee Assists in Regulation of Herbal Medicines

摘要

A recently formed Herbal Medicines Advisory Committee (HMAC) now assists the United Kingdom's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in monitoring the country's herbal medicinal products. Moreover, the committee has taken on a keyrole in helping to regulate herbal medicines under the UK's new Traditional Herbal Medicines Registration Scheme (THMRS).1 MHRA is the government agency responsible for ensuring the safety of medicines and medical devices in the United Kingdom. The HMACwas established in October of 2005, and MHRA announced that the first members of the committee had been appointed in February of 2006.2 The committee consists of 15 individuals who have herbal science or health professional expertise, as well as two laymembers.3 Members of HMAC are not permitted to hold any personal interests in the pharmaceutical and herbal industries, and they must exclude themselves from any discussions in which their interests might be regarded as affecting their impartiality.2 TheHMAC advises UK Ministers and the MHRA on any issues relating to registration of herbal medicinal products under the THMRS, which was established in October of 2005, and to issues regarding safety and quality of unlicensed herbal remedies supplied under Section 12 of the UK's Medicines Act of 1968. In this latter capacity, HMAC is likely to play an important role in monitoring the safety of herbal medicines used by UK herbalists who are currently in the process of being statu-torily regulated.