
07/25/2024
Important!
Urgent!
Help stop the Health Canada fees that will increase the costs of our herbs and decrease their availability.
Deadline to sign this petition is August 1st.
https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-4914
Remember when we told you about the “cost recovery” fees
(https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/natural-non-prescription/regulation/cost-recovery.html) that Health Canada was imposing on Canadian natural health products (NHP) distributors, manufacturers, and suppliers?
Well, that went through via Bill C-47, a huge budget bill. The NHP industry, healthcare providers, and the public have spoken up loudly against these fees because (1) there is already a robust regulatory process in place for NHPs; (2) NHPs have long been recognized as causing little harm (yes, they can be harmful if used incorrectly or if contaminated, of course, but the risks have long been recorded as low); (3) small- and medium-sized businesses will not be able to take on this further financial burden and some may close, others will decrease their product availability, and prices to you and your patients will increase.
ATCMA is talking to Chinese herbal suppliers, and they are worried. Last time there was a big change by Health Canada toward NHPs, we lost access to a bunch of herbal suppliers. Remember Kan, Health Concerns, Three Treasures, Women’s Treasures, and Blue Poppy?
Because the new fees will be applied to each and every product for sale, and will be applied annually, we are likely to see a decrease in some of our herbs. Suppliers have some herbs they know will sell in high quantity; others will rarely sell, though they are highly important when needed. With the per product annual fee, suppliers will have to consider whether it’s worth keeping that herb in stock or whether they drop it. And, of course, there’s price. Prices will have to go up to cover added expenses. Can you afford to take the loss? Can your patients afford their herbs at a higher cost? How does this impact the care you can deliver?
Bill C-368 is a Private Member bill that is attempting to repeal the changes to the Food and Drug Act that render natural health products to be put into the same regulatory framework as pharmaceutical drugs.
What can you do?
1. Sign this petition https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-4914 . You can until August 1st.
2. Talk to your MPs. Write to them. Call them. Ask to meet with them in person.
3. Check out https://chfa.ca/en/Advocacy/NHPs for ways to take action against these “cost recovery” fees, noting that Health Canada is ALSO adding in new labelling requirements (also $$$) and addition of Vanessa’s Law to NHPs when we already have sufficient regulation and safety measures in place that already give Health Canada the power of seizures, stop sales, cancellations and suspensions of licenses.
4. Another way to support Bill C-368 is to click here to send an electronic letter (remembering that step 2 is still the MOST powerful way to deliver your message, so if you do this, write your own letters too) https://nhppa.org/bill-c-368-passed-second-reading-heres-whats-next/
Apparently, it’s rare that a Private Member bill goes through, but so far this one has had two readings and is now being considered by the Standing Committee on Health. This is where you can have input through the petition.
紧急通知!
帮助阻止加拿大卫生部的费用增加,因为这将提高我们的草药成本并减少其供应量。请在 8 月 1 日前签署此请愿书:https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-4914
还记得我们告诉过你们关于加拿大卫生部向加拿大天然健康产品 (NHP) 分销商、制造商和供应商收取“成本回收”费用 (https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/natural-non-prescription/regulation/cost-recovery.html) 的事情吗?
这些费用已经通过了 C-47 法案,这是一个庞大的预算法案。天然健康产品行业、医疗保健提供者和公众已经强烈反对这些费用,因为 (1) NHP 已经有一个健全的监管程序;(2) NHP 长期以来被认为对人体危害较小(当然,如果使用不当或受污染,它们可能有害,但风险一直被认为很低);(3) 小型和中型企业将无法承担这一额外的财务负担,一些企业可能会倒闭,其他企业将减少产品供应,价格将上涨。
ATCMA 正在与中草药供应商交流,他们感到担忧。上次加拿大卫生部对 NHP 进行重大更改时,我们失去了许多草药供应商的供货渠道。还记得 Kan、Health Concerns、Three Treasures、Women’s Treasures 和 Blue Poppy 吗?由于新费用将适用于每一种在售产品,并且每年都将适用,我们可能会看到一些草药供应量的减少。
供应商了解有些草药会销量大,但有些草药虽然销量少却非常重要。由于每年按产品收取费用,供应商将不得不考虑继续储备这些草药,还是放弃它们,哪一个选项会更值得。当然,价格也会受到影响。价格将不得不提高以覆盖新增费用。请问您能承受这种损失吗?请问您的患者能负担得起更高的草药成本吗?这对你提供的护理将有什么影响?
C-368 法案是一项私人草案,旨在废除对《食品药品法》所做的更改,这些更改将天然健康产品纳入与药品相同的监管框架。
你能做什么?
签署此请愿书:https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-4914。请在 8 月 1 日前签署。
与你的省议员交流。写信给他们,给他们打电话,要求与他们见面。
查看 https://chfa.ca/en/Advocacy/NHPs,了解如何反对这些“成本回收”费用,并注意加拿大卫生部还增加了新的标签要求(也是 $$$),以及将 Vanessa 法案纳入 NHP 管理范畴,而我们已经有足够的监管和安全措施,使加拿大卫生部拥有查封、停止销售、取消和暂停许可证的权力。
支持 C-368 法案的另一种方式是点击这里发送电子信件(记住,第 2 步仍然是传递你信息的最强有力方式,因此如果你决定这么做,请写以你自己的方式写这个信件)https://nhppa.org/bill-c-368-passed-second-reading-heres-whats-next/
据说私人草案很少通过,但到目前为止,这个法案已经进行了两次审议,现在正由卫生常务委员会审议。通过请愿书,这是你可以表达意见的地方。