Naturopathy Dubious petition for medicinal plants

Naturopathy: Dubious Bundestag petition against the EU medicinal plant ban

Many interested people of naturopathy, naturopaths and complementary physicians were showered in the last days with a flood of mails and "critical media reports". There is an "urgent need for action" as the EU wants to introduce "a ban on the sale of medicinal plants". At the same time it was called to sign an online petition to the German Bundestag to „Perhaps to ward off this dark specter“. But natural medicine is in fact so dangerously endangered, as has been repeatedly preached and asserted in the last few days?

The Committee for Research Natural Medicine e. V. (KFN) clearly says no. And at the same time, the association is by no means suspected of being „Conventional medicine“ or to play the pharmaceutical lobby in the hands. The KFN is an organization recognized by alternative practitioners and physicians who, according to its own statements, wants to promote research on natural medicine procedures. According to the KFN, there is currently a "veritable disinformation campaign" taking place „Commitment of good faith advocates of phytotherapy abused. With their dubious action, the apparent saviors of phytotherapy harm no less than their declared opponents, "said the KFN - a drastic criticism, which is expressed here, but let's take a closer look at the facts.

Contrary to the claim of the authors of the petition, the mentioned Directive 2004/24 / EC does not apply „Dietary supplements and medicinal herbs“ but exclusively on „herbal medicines“. Dietary supplements are legally considered foodstuffs and therefore remain completely unaffected by this regulation. In addition, the amendment is by no means new, but the directive was adopted on 31 March 2004.

However, that is not all, and especially absurd, the KFN seems to be considering the current campaign because the new Directive (2004/24 EC) was only made in order for "these products to remain on the market", as it is worded in recital 3. This Directive introduces a simplified registration procedure for this product group, following the three years prior adoption of Directive 2001/83 / EC, requiring each manufacturer of a medicinal product to submit scientific documentation demonstrating its quality, safety and efficacy. Many herbal medicines with a long tradition could not meet this requirement. They would have had to disappear from the market without Directive 2004/24 / EC.

Also, registration of a traditional medicinal product requires certain conditions to be met. They are listed in Chapter 2a, Art.16a of the Directive. Accordingly, traditional medicines must have been in use for 30 years, 15 of which have been in the EU, they must only have a certain strength and are only suitable in doses that pose no risk to the patient, especially for self-medication. The transitional period for adapting existing preparations to these provisions expires in April 2011.

„Affected by the provisions can only be the manufacturer who has not done any homework and let all periods pass by without action“, commented Michael Habs the process. So it remains to be seen that a campaign is currently underway that should by no means limit consumer interests. On the contrary: A simplified registration procedure for naturopathy products is introduced. (sb, KFN, 10.11.2010)

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