First FDA, now FTC to review homeopathics
WASHINGTON — The Federal Trade Commission will host a public workshop here on Sept. 21 to examine advertising for over-the-counter homeopathic products, the agency announced earlier this week.
“During the last few decades, the homeopathic drug industry in the United States has grown considerably from a multimillion-dollar to a multibillion-dollar market,” the agency stated. “In that time, the homeopathic drug market has shifted from one based primarily on formulations prescribed for an individual user to mass-market formulations widely advertised and sold nationwide in major retail stores. Because of rapid growth in the marketing and consumer use of homeopathic products, the FTC is hosting a workshop to evaluate the advertising for such products.”
According to FTC blogger Lesley Fair, the agenda is still in the works, but here are some of the subjects under consideration:
The science behind homeopathy;
How the market has changed and how homeopathic products are advertised;
What consumers understand about homeopathy; and
How established FTC truth-in-advertising principles apply.
The FTC announcement of its review of advertising homeopathic products comes one month after the Food and Drug Administration held a two-day hearing to review the appropriate regulatory policy for homeopathic medicines.
At the hearing, the American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists told FDA that the agency’s regulatory policy for homeopathic medicines has worked effectively for the last 25 years to protect the public health and provide consumer access to safe homeopathic medicines.
“We are confident that the majority of homeopathic drug products in the market are manufactured and labeled in substantial compliance with the Compliance Policy Guide and the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, ensuring consumers have access to safe and clearly identified homeopathic products to choose from for their healthcare needs,” stated Mark Land, president AAHP, in a release after the hearing.