Which of the following statements is true concerning the regulation of herbal therapies in Canada?

Question

a. Herbal remedies are harmless and do not cause side effects because they are nat-ural plants.
b. A natural health product that has been approved under the Food and Drugs Act will carry a drug identification number on its label.
c. All herbal therapy manufacturers must follow strict quality control and manufac-turing guidelines.
d. There is no need to be concerned about concurrent use of herbal therapies and prescription or over-the-counter medications.

Answer 1

B
The federal Food and Drugs Act states that all drugs must be proven safe and effective before they can be sold to the public. In 2004, Health Canada launched a six-year program to regulate all over-the-counter natural health products, including herbal therapies and homeopathic medi-cines. Natural health products that have been approved for sale under the new regulations have been assigned a Drug Identification Number (DIN; DIN-HM for homeopathic medicines) or Natural Product Number (NPN). These numbers certify that the product has passed a review of their formulation, labelling, and instructions for use. Health Canada advises Canadians only to use health products that carry a DIN, DIN-HM, or NPN on the label.
Many people believe, incorrectly, that because herbs are natural plants, they will not cause harm or side effects.
Not all companies follow strict quality control and manufacturing guidelines, which set standards for acceptable levels of pesticides, residual solvents, bacterial levels, and heavy metals. For this reason, herbal medicine should be purchased from reputable manufacturers.
Concurrent use of herbal or other natural products with prescription or over-the-counter medica-tions should be monitored. Herbs can inhibit or enhance a particular medication's site of action.