Published Thursday 10 December 2015:
Press Release: BHMA brands Government Refusal to Regulate UK Herbal Practitioners as ‘Ideological Madness’
Press release from the MHRA: End of herbal sell through period
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is reminding herbal companies and retailers that, as of 1st May 2014, unlicensed manufactured herbal medicines without a traditional herbal registration (THR) or product licence (PL) can no longer be sold to consumers and must be removed from shelves.
Medicines watchdog takes further action to protect public from unlicensed herbal medicines (added 23rd November 2013)
It has been announced by the MHRA that after 30th April 2014 no unlicensed herbal medicines will be allowed to to be sold in retail. All manufactured herbal medicines will have to be authorised and registered under the Traditional Herbal Registration (THR) scheme.
For the further information and the full press release please click below.
Press Release-Unlicensed Herbal Medicines
Proposal to end the “sell through” of unlicensed herbal medicines (added 10th July 2013)
The MHRA proposes to put and end to “sell through” unlicensed herbal medicines still available on the market. They have proposed a final date 31st December 2013 by which these products can be sold. Responses to this proposal can be sent until no later than 6th September.
For the full report, please click here.
Warning to people with diabetes about dangerous herbal food supplement claims (added 3rd July 2013)
This press release was issued by the MHRA on 3rd July 2013 and warns consumers with diabetes not to believe false advertising claims that they can give up their prescribed diabetes medication if they take Vedagrin also known as Vendate.
To read the full report, please click here.
Warning over potentially toxic Chinese herbal medicine (added 19th April 2013)
This press release was issued by the MHRA on 17th April 2013 and warns consumers about a particular Chinese herbal medicine, Zheng Tian Wan, that is used to treat migraines. This product contains aconite, a herb that can be toxic to the heart and nervous system and can even lead to death.
To read the full report, please click here.
Most recent final determinations (added 19th April 2013)
The MHRA recently issued final determination on two products: Viridian St John’s Wort Vegetarian Capsules and Jointment Balm.
To read the most recent report, please click here.
Statutory Regulation of Practitioners coming at last
The British Herbal Medicine Association welcomes and strongly supports the announcement today by the Secretary of State for Health of forthcoming statutory regulation of herbal medicine practitioners under the Health Professions Council (HPC).
This has been under consideration ever since a House of Lords Select Committee reported on Complementary and Alternative Medicine in 2000, and 85% of respondents to the most recent public consultation in 2009 were in favour of statutory regulation. The government has now resolved years of uncertainty for practitioners and safeguarded their future as well as the best interests of consumers.
The Health Professions Council has been asked to establish a statutory register for practitioners. Following creation of this register, only those practitioners who qualify for designation as “authorised healthcare professionals” will be able to commission unlicensed manufactured herbal medicines to meet the special needs of their patients. Regulation of practitioners will be underpinned by a strengthened system for regulating the medicinal products they use.
Peter Bradley, Chairman of the BHMA commented:
“A major step in the right direction. The government has made a sound decision and is to be congratulated. We look forward to a new scheme which will raise standards in herbal practice and give consumers continued access through practitioners to a wide range of important herbal medicines.
Our thanks to all those who worked long and hard to achieve this excellent result”.
16 February 2011
BHMA Policy on the conservation of medicinal plants
The BHMA considers the maintenance of biodiversity and the conservation of plant species in natural habitats to be vital to the interests of herbal medicine, the quality of the environment and the welfare of future generations.
The Association supports the principles of sustainable harvesting and protection of endangered species, encouraging the cultivation of medicinal plants in preference to harvesting from the wild wherever practicable.
In the usage of non-cultivated medicinal plants, members of the BHMA should ensure as far as possible that:
- the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and any relevant national regulations have been observed.
- neither plant species nor their natural habitats are threatened by irresponsible harvesting or over-exploitation.
Further information on CITES can be found on the Internet from
or from: CITES Secretariat, International Environment House, 11 Chemin des Anemones, CH-1219 Châtelaine, Geneva, Switzerland. Tel: +41-(0)22-917-81-39/40 Fax: +41-(0)22-797-34-17 e-mail: info@cites.org