Current Regulation in the UK

[Yarrowmoon]

Hi everyone,

Long time no speak, but I'm back now, promise not to make a nuisance of myself!

Just wanted to let anyone from the UK know that we are currently facing a bit of a challenge as herbalists. Recently the government (bless their cotton socks) decided to change the medicine law. The new law comes into effect in 2011, and, as far as my understanding goes, means that we, as herbalists, will lose access to many of our medicines. If it aint a tincture, we wont be able to get it, basically. Now, I know that for many of us grass roots types this doesn't present a huge problem, however the issue is how this connects to the regulation kerfuffle over here in the UK.

The government over here has been planning our regulation (working alongside NIMH and the EHTPA) for the last ten years. Recently (about two months ago) they suddenly decided to start backpedalling. Now the big issue here, from what I have been told, is that yes, regulation IS still going ahead BUT - and this is the kicker - they don't want to regulate us as healthcare professionals, but instead use the same basic regulatory profile as, for example, wheel clampers. This basically means that when the new medicines act in 2011 comes into effect, if we are not registered as healthcare professionals, we will not be able to buy creams, capsules, powders, anything else like that, it will all have to be made from scratch by ourselves or we will not be allowed to prescribe it for our patients. Also, the right to use a prescription service to get medicine sent out to patients will be lost - which may put a lot of herbalists out of business. Nuts, I know, but hey ho thats the government for you.

The NIMH website provides the full consultation document that can be filled out by any of you that fancy doing so - and you can find a much less garbled load of blurb on there about this whole thing as well. Also, writing to your local MP to request that herbalists are regulated as healthcare professionals might be quite helpful - basic letters are available on the NIMH site.

www.nimh.org.uk

I know, as grass roots herbalists this isn't perhaps a huge issue to us however I do feel that it is important to make our voices known. I'm not 100% in favour of regulation (being an infamous fence sitter - or hedge sitter in this case) however I'm trying to take off the rose tinted glasses and realise that regulation is going to happen over here whether we like it or not, and that we may as well at least try and get regulated properly, so we can practice out in the open, as herbalists and as healthcare providers.

Ok.... long, slightly incoherent email done now. Please yell, slap me around the back of the head or whatever else needs doing if I have made mistakes or if you have any questions. Just felt I had a responsibility to put up some info on this somewhere on the forum so people are aware :)

Many blessings,

Ali
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...can often be found grubbing around in the hedgerows, wearing an odd hat of elderflowers...

www.hearthcraft.co.uk

[Indigo]

It's about to become a nighmare in this country - I just had an email from HSI saying that some yoghurt drink manufacturer has now been banned from saying it's good for health!

They're speeding up stopping supplements, herbs etc being used. Codex Alimentarius is running away with itself.

Big Pharma running scared methinks, but if we can't get things, how the heck can we treat ourselves? And there's hardly anywhere that plants can grow freely without chemicals - if it's not farmer's poison spray, it's the Councils and if both manage to miss, the chemtrails will get it. GRR

I just pray we can get it stopped, but you know what big brother is like. Thank goodness I'm old enough not to have to be growing up in this atmosphere, but I'm still likely stuck with another 20 or more years of it worse luck.

[Yarrowmoon]

Aye I know, thats what my worry has been. the thing is, by removing people's ability to buy decent quality herbal medicines, they may well resort to ordering stuff over the internet, from rather dubious companies, rather than getting good quality stuff. i think the government is making a rod for its own back, personally. should be interesting to see if things change when the government changes next year (as i think it probably will - Labour has about worn out its welcome over here!)

scary stuff *sigh* timed perfectly as well, right after I finish my degree and start thinking about setting up in business... eh well, its all a learning curve eh!
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...can often be found grubbing around in the hedgerows, wearing an odd hat of elderflowers...

www.hearthcraft.co.uk

[Indigo]

I feel for you, being about to possibly have your career/vocation b... ed up by those eejits. I pray it doesn't come to that.

Well, I have to either grow it myself or buy it over the internet and as I only have a very small garden, I have to buy most herbs. I "think" I've found a couple of decent suppliers. I don't buy tinctures though, I make my own even though I'm just a beginner. Mainly because I can't afford to but also I loathe vodka. I'm also on an extremely limited income.