Herbal Safety News

It provides useful safety information for anyone using herbal medicines and anyone operating in the herbal medicines sector, including manufacturers, herbal practitioners, suppliers and retailers.

There are other existing ways of alerting GPs and pharmacists to herbal safety issues such as the bulletin 'Drug Safety Update'. However, it is hoped that this section will be a useful additional source of information.

In 2002 the former Medicines Control Agency produced a report on the safety of herbal medicinal products (143Kb). In 2008 the Herbal Medicines Advisory Committee, (the body that provides independent expert advice to the Government on herbal medicines) asked the MHRA to make available an updated summary document: Public Health Risk with Herbal Medicines: an Overview (782Kb) (July 2008). The aim of doing this is to promote wider understanding of herbal safety issues.

Objective
The MHRA's key objective is to protect public health. To help achieve this, the Agency wishes to inform consumers, companies and practitioners about herbal medicines that may pose a risk to human health.

We hope that this section will help widen awareness of the safety issues sometimes raised by the use of herbal remedies, and in doing so, help to protect public health.

Free e-mail alerting service
If you would like to receive an e-mail notification when 'Herbal Safety News' is  updated, please subscribe to our free e-mail alerting service (under 'Herbal medicines information'):
›  MHRA e-mail alerting service

Contacts for further information
For further information on safety aspects affecting herbal remedies please contact Leigh Henderson, telephone 020 7084 2156,  MHRA, Market Towers, 1 Nine Elms Lane, London SW8 5NQ.
For information on measures to improve the regulation of herbal remedies please contact Judith Thompson, telephone 020 7084 2945, e-mail judith.m.thompson@mhra.gsi.gov.uk, 16-161, MHRA, Market Towers, 1 Nine Elms Lane, London SW8 5NQ.  Alternatively, you may e-mail info@mhra.gsi.gov.uk .