News

Regulation of herbal medicines is essential

(19 April 2011)

Professor John McLachlan

Regulation of herbal remedies is essential to ensure they are safe, ethically sourced and effective, according to a Durham University expert.

Professor John McLachlan from Durham's School of Medicine and Health makes the comments as many herbal medicines are due to be removed from shops from 30 April as a result of an European Union directive.

The law, which was passed in Brussels seven years ago, states that treatments can only be approved for sale if they have been in use for at least 15 years in the EU in a move aimed at protecting consumers from potentially damaging remedies.

Professor McLachlan said: "Unlike most alternative medicine approaches, such as homeopathic products, herbal remedies can have real biological effects. Indeed, many modern medicines are derived from plant materials. However, you can't assume that because something is natural, it is safe, benign or effective.

"Many of the most poisonous substances known are perfectly 'natural'.  A risk of herbal and 'natural' remedies is that they may vary in quality and quantity of the active ingredient, and, as in a number of recent cases, may even be adulterated with powerful medicines in variable doses and purity. This means they do indeed have effects, but may also have serious side effects, dangers not appreciated by the person taking them."

Figures suggest one in four people buys herbal medicines.  From the end of this month, all treatments sold as herbal medicines have to be registered.  In addition to proving a minimum of 15 years' use in the EU, manufacturers also have to show that its products have been made to strict standards and contain a consistent and clearly marked dose. 

Prof McLachlan added: "In some cases, 'natural' remedies are made using rare and endangered species such as sea horses, or are obtained by cruel methods, such as extracting bile from bears. It is right, therefore, that attempts should be made to regulate herbal remedies and 'traditional Chinese medicine'.

"However, the desirable outcome is not only that herbal and natural products should be safe and ethically sourced, but also that they should be effective. Normal medicines have to demonstrate evidence that they are safe and that they work, though, even then, things sometimes go wrong.

"Moves to regulate the market in herbal medicines, particularly in terms of knowing that herbal and 'natural' products are effective as well as safe, are essential in order to ensure that the customer can make a truly informed choice."

Professor John McLachlan is the Associate Dean of Medicine in the School of Medicine and Health at Durham University.