Major CM advertising worry
July 11, 2013
THERE’S considerable concern
among complementary medicine
practitioners about proposals
by the Therapeutic Goods
Administration which could restrict
the information and advice they
can provide to consumers.
It’s part of the TGA’s consultation
on regulating the advertising of
therapeutic goods to the general
public (PD 03 Jun), with one of
the proposals suggesting the
exclusion of complementary
medicine practitioners as health
professionals in relation to
advertising of therapeutic goods.
Proposal six of the consultation
document includes an option which
would update the exemption for
health professionals in section
42AA of the TGA Act to “only
recognise health practitioners
regulated under the Health
Practitioner Regulation National
Law” - replacing the existing
arrangement which includes a
list of health workers to whom
advertising may be directed.
Switching to professions regulated
by the AHPRA would automatically
exclude Herbalists, Naturopaths
and Homeopathic Practitioners who
are currently explicitly included in
the list.
Blackmores is strenuously
opposing the change, with the
company yesterday circulating an
email warning that it will result
in “significantly less scientific and
technical information provided
to practitioners, restricting the
information and advice you can
give to your consumers”.
Blackmores is suggesting that
the industry object strongly to
‘Proposal 6, Option 2’ in the
consultation document and instead
support ‘Option 1: No Change’.
The TGA has extended the
deadline for submissions to the
consultation, which will now be
accepted until 5pm on Fri 19 Jul.
“Blackmores has a proud heritage
of promoting natural health and we
will always campaign to ensure that
complementary medicines are an
integral part of the Australian allied
health industry,” the email said.
“We believe that Naturopaths,
Herbalists and Homeopaths offer
valuable advice and consumers
should have access to well trained
and informed advice so they have
freedom to choose.
“If we stand side by side and
campaign, we can stop these
concerning proposals and together
we can save your profession,”
Blackmores added.
The CM sector is also being
urged to make its voice heard via
an online petition opposing the
move, initiated by Toowoomba-based
naturopath David Howell
who warned that the proposal will
“effectively delete the industry”.
Almost 10,000 people have signed
the petition at www.change.org.
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