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On April 8, 2008, the federal government tabled
amendments to the Food and Drugs Act (Bill C-51), which introduces new
definitions including a new product category called “therapeutic
products”, that encompasses drugs, natural health products, medical
devices, and cells, tissues, and organs. It also establishes new enforcement powers that include increased
penalties, access to personal information, and the ability
to enter business establishments without a warrant.
Within two
weeks, however, the Freedom of Choice movement and
natural health products industry rallied such public opposition to Bill
C-51 that the
progress of this legislation has been delayed.
To better understand the issues and concerns behind this public
opposition, click here to read Bill
C-51 and click to read more:
●
Health Action Network Society (HANS)
●
Natural
Health Products Protection Association
The Board of the Canadian Society of Homeopaths agrees that this
legislation contains troubling aspects that could seriously affect the
entire natural health products industry, including homeopathic products.
Specifically, we draw to your attention two issues that have the
potential of negatively impacting our long-term access to homeopathic
medicines:
1. If this Bill is
approved, homeopathic products will be reclassified as therapeutic
products and the Minister of Health will be granted the power to
“designate a therapeutic product – either individually or by class
– as a prescription therapeutic product” [15.1(4)], which can only
be dispensed by “an individual who is authorized under the law of a
province to prescribe or dispense prescription therapeutic products”
[Definition of “Practitioner”].
Thus, the Minister of Health can create and add to a list of remedies
available only by prescription, which would be unavailable to
students of homeopathy, non-licenced professional homeopaths, and
licenced homeopaths whose scope of practice does not include
prescriptions for “therapeutic products”.
2. This Bill also proposes
to expand the definition of “government” to include “a government
of a foreign state or of a subdivision of a foreign state, or . . . an
international organization of states” and to permit modifications to
regulations by reference documents provided by “a government”
[30.7].
We are concerned that regulations arising from a foreign
source (such as the CODEX
treaty) could become law in Canada through the regulatory process,
circumventing the disclosure and scrutiny involved in the legislative
process.
Although
C-51 does not appear to contain any immediate threat to homeopathic
practice, the CSH Board encourages everyone within the homeopathic
community to learn more about C-51 and to express your concerns in
writing to each of the following:
●
your federal MP
●
the Prime Minister, Stephen Harper
●
the Minister of Health, Tony Clement
●
the NDP health critic, Judy Wasylycia-Leis
Address your letters to:
The Honourable (Name of person)
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Remember, letters
addressed to Parliament go postal free!
Original letters are always the best way to influence political
leaders. A letter written in long-hand and mailed carries the most
impact; however typed letters and e-mails are effective as well.
If you want to contact MPs by phone or at their constituency offices, click
here to find contact
information for your Member of Parliament.
Please share this information with everyone you know who has an interest
in natural health and ask them to do the same. If enough people
join our letter-writing campaign, we have a good chance of influencing
MPs to reject Bill C-51 when it comes to a vote for Second Reading.
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