A 2010 Ipsos-Reid survey shows that 73% of Canadians regularly take natural health products (NHPs) like vitamins and minerals, herbal products, and homeopathic medicines.
Under the Natural Health Products Regulations, which came into effect on January 1, 2004, natural health products (NHPs) are defined as:
NHPs must be safe to use as over-the-counter products and not need a prescription to be sold. Products needing a prescription are regulated as drugs under the Food and Drug Regulations.
This section contains natural health product information tailored to reach a wide-ranging audience.
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Through the Natural Health Products Directorate, Health Canada assures that all Canadians have ready access to a wide range of natural health products that are safe, effective and of high quality.
We assess all natural health products before letting them be sold in Canada. We also check that NHPs are properly manufactured (without contamination or incorrect ingredients). And we do post-market monitoring to make sure that NHP Regulations are being followed.