E-drug: Registration of herbal drugs (cont)
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Dear Dr Mirza
The regulation and control of medicines in South Africa used to fall
under the Medicines Control Council (MCC). A uniform set of standards
and
procedures was applied with focus on safety, quality and efficacy.
The new SA Medicines and Medical Devices Regulatory Authority Bill
(SAMMDRA Bill) establishes a new authority. It makes provision for
different procedures to be applied when registering orthodox and
complementary (herbal, traditional or homeopathic) medicines. This
will be done by establishing separate expert committees for the two
major types of medicines. In the case of traditional medicines,
issues of safety and quality will take precedence over proof of
efficacy.The aim is to regulate, not to prevent access to what many
people use in preference to orthodox medicines (Gray 1998).
The Transformatory Task Team on Medicines Regulation has suggested
that complementary medicines be divided into three categories - those
available in open shops, those restricted to pharmacies, and those
available only through registered practitioners (complementary
practitioners who are registered in terms of the Chiropractors,
Homeopaths and Allied Health Professions Act).
This is all the information I have at the moment.
Let's keep in contact!
Regards
O. Meissner
O.MEISSNER
Prof & Head: Department of Pharmacology
UNITRA (University of Transkei)
"Prof O Meissner" <MEISSNER@getafix.utr.ac.za>
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