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Regulation of herbal medicine and acupuncture : Proposals for statutory regulation

The Department of Health is pleased to launch a consultation document on the statutory regulation of herbal medicine and acupuncture practitioners.  This paper seeks views on the statutory professional self-regulation of the herbal medicine and acupuncture professions.

This document follows the recommendation made by the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology that it would be in the interests of patients and practitioners for the herbal medicine and acupuncture professions to strive for statutory regulation.

The Department of Health has carefully considered and built on the recommendations of two independent regulatory working groups in developing its proposals for the statutory regulation of herbal medicine and acupuncture.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has published a linked consultation document on the regulation of unlicensed herbal remedies made up to meet the needs of the individual patients.

• Download Regulation of herbal medicine and acupuncture : Proposals for statutory regulation (PDF, 319K)
• Consultation on the supply of herbal remedies under section 12(1) of the Medicines Act 1968 (opens new window)
• Statutory regulation of herbal medicines and acupuncture : Report on the consultation