Health Promotion - Quality and Safety
Since many Canadians use natural health products (NHPs) in the management
of their health, ensuring that these products are safe, effective and
of high quality has been a key area of discussion during the consultation
process. A consideration of potential drug interactions with NHPs is provided
in Drug Interactions with Natural
Health Products: A Discussion Paper. A further examination is presented
in Drug Interactions with Natural
Health Products: A Research Priority-Setting Conference. The crucial
goal of establishing standards for the quality and safety of NHPs is examined
in An Exploration of Current Issues
in Botanical Quality: A Discussion Paper. Efforts to establish priorities
and strategies for research into the quality and analysis of NHPs are
detailed in Quality Controls and Product
Standards: A Research Priority-Setting Conference.
Drug Interactions with Natural Health Products: A Discussion Paper
Report prepared by Heather Boon, BScPhm, PhD, and Tannis Jurgens, BScPhm,
MSc, PhD
Almost half of all Canadians use complementary and alternative medicine,
including natural health products (NHPs), in the management of their health.
Many Canadians use NHPs in conjunction with conventional medications,
which raises concerns about potential NHP-drug interactions. This report,
developed as background information for the Research Priority-Setting
Conference on Drug Interactions with NHPs held in January 2002, provides
a broad overview of issues concerning NHP-drug interactions to help identify
priority needs in this area. The report discusses NHP-drug interactions
from a biomedical perspective; clinical issues associated with identifying
NHP-drug interactions; as well as current health care system, reporting,
and policy issues.
Report
(including the Executive Summary)
Drug Interactions with Natural Health Products: A Research Priority-Setting Conference
Report prepared by Theodore de Bruyn
Throughout the consultation process, stakeholders have noted that interactions
between natural health products (NHPs) and pharmaceutical drugs is an
important area for research, since many Canadians use prescription or
over-the-counter drugs and NHPs at the same time. This report details
the proceedings of a priority-setting conference, convened in March 2002
by Health Canada, at which participants discussed the current state of
evidence related to NHP-drug interactions in Canada and explored ways
to advance research priorities in this area. The report focuses on priorities
and objectives concerning biomedical, clinical and epidemiological research
on NHP-drug interactions, as well as research related to reporting, disseminating
and using information about such interactions.
Report
(including the Executive
Summary)
An Exploration of Current Issues in Botanical Quality: A Discussion
Paper Report
prepared by Allison R. McCutcheon
Throughout the entire consultation
process, from the Standing Committee on Health's hearings in 1997-98 to
the present time, product quality has been identified as one of the most
important natural health product (NHP) concerns. This report was written
to provide information on the diversity of issues and perspectives on
the subject, in preparation for the Priority-Setting Conference on Natural
Health Product Standards and Quality Control convened by Health Canada
in March 2002. The report includes a consideration of how quality and
related terms may be defined, an historical overview of how quality has
been assessed, a summary of NHP regulations in Canada and the US, a discussion
about existing data on efficacy and safety, as well as a summary of challenges
faced in setting standards and facilitating research in this area.
Report
(including the Executive
Summary)
Quality Controls and Product Standards: A Research Priority-Setting
Conference
Report prepared by Dennis Patrick O'Hara, DC, ND, PhD
This report details the proceedings of a Health Canada conference on quality
control and product standards held in March 2002. The conference was convened
to establish priorities and strategies related to research in the quality
and analysis of natural health products. This report reviews issues concerning
the development of methods for assessing botanical quality, determining
markers, evaluating biologically active components, developing purity
specifications and monitoring outcomes.
Report
(including the Executive
Summary)
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