The British Herbal Medicine Association (BHMA) says that the advantages of the new system of Traditional Herbal Registrations (THRs) will become increasingly evident after an “initial period of readjustment”.
The BHMA makes the comment in the introduction to a new booklet published to mark the “timely achievement” of the first 100 THRs granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (by April 2011) under the requirements of the European Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD).
The BHMA, which has strongly has supported the THMPD from its inception, states that the new herbals regime heralds a “new era” for herbal medicine and one that will “lead to higher standards and a more satisfactory retail market”. The Association also says that the THR scheme will give the public greater confidence in herbal products and enable “responsible suppliers to compete on a level playing field”.
The BHMA acknowledges that the THR scheme got off to a slow start, and that the total number of herbals substances found in THR products remains low, but it says that applications currently being processed by the MHRA ought to lead a doubling of the current number of THRs granted.
Granted Traditional Herbal Registrations — Companies with 3+ THRs at April 2011
Schwabe Pharma 14
Diapharm 14
Bioforce 11
Bio-Health 5
NBTY 5
Swiss Caps 5
Bionorica 4
Natures Aid 4
Dr Wilmar Schwabe 4
Cassella-Med 3
Pharbio Medical 3
Rutland Biodynamics 3
• The First 100 Traditional Herbal Registrations in the United Kingdom is published by the BHMA at £2.50. For more information visit www.bhma.info
