Herbal Medicine to be Statutorily Regulated
The Department of Health issued a Ministeral Statement on Wednesday 16th February 2011 confirming that to comply with EU law, the Health Professions Council will be requested to establish a statutory register for practitioners supplying unlicensed herbal medicines.
The Statement continues to discuss the practice of acupuncture which is not affected by the pending EU Directive and, therefore, compliance is not required. It is considered that acupuncturists have their own voluntary regulatory measures in place, which are sufficiently robust. Additionally, local authorities in England have powers to regulate the hygiene of the practice of acupuncture, to protect against the risk of transmission of certain infectious diseases. Similar measures are also in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
