Napiers, the 150-year old herbal remedy and natural healthcare specialist, is to roll out a range of licenced herbal formulas under the MHRA’s herbal registration scheme. The products are based on traditional formulas developed by west of England herbalist Rickard Lane, some of which are over 100 years old.
Napiers acquired the rights to the formulas in early 2009.
Three licenced products — Cut-A-Cough, Sage & Garlic and Sweet Dream Formula — are already available from Rickard Lane. Cress Ltd has been appointed as distributor and the range is also being listed by Tree of Life and The Health Store.
Napiers’ managing director, Dee Atkinson, told NP: “We think this is a really exciting development. There is a lot of very real concern over the herbals directive — THMPD — but Napiers is able to offer a solution.
“The 20 products we will be launching under the Napiers brand are formulas that use a combination of herbs. Virtually all of the products that currently have licences under the MHRA scheme are for single herbs. But as a practitioner you would never use a single herb, so we believe these wonderful traditional formulas offer something valuable and special.”
This latest development at Napiers, since Atkinson and Monica Wilde retook control of the business, marks a new stage of growth for the heritage brand.
Napiers has three clinics in Edinburgh and Glasgow and one of the largest teams of professional natural health and herbal practitioners in the UK. Between them, the clinics see over 22,000 patients a year.
Commenting on the growing interest in herbal medicine, Atkinson says: “Information on herbal medicine is now widely available largely due to the internet. We firmly believe that there is sustained consumer interest in natural and organic products and treatments. By offering regulated products, Napiers can further ensure their safety.
Herbs are not harmless, they are drugs, just as pharmaceuticals are drugs and as such they should be prescribed by a qualified registered practitioner.
