Natural Health sector agrees way forward

13 August 2007

Natural Health sector agrees the way forward for regulation

Following the Government’s failure to pass the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill, the natural health sector has agreed an approach for better regulation of the industry.

More than 150 businesses and organisations have signed up to a joint position statement released today, which lays out how an appropriate, affordable and extensive regulatory system can be put in place.

Amy Adams of the NZ Health Trust says the joint position statement relies heavily on recommendations of the three select committees which investigated how the sector should be regulated.

“There is broad consensus amongst the natural health industry supporting robust and appropriate regulation of their industry and clear messages as to what the key principles of the regulation should be,” Mrs Adams said.

“In conjunction with the position statement we have set up a working party of industry experts to fill out the detail of a new model that would protect consumers whilst still allowing New Zealand businesses to flourish - both domestically and in the burgeoning international natural health market.”
Mrs Adams said organisations were continuing to sign up to the position statement, but in the meantime it will be delivered to members of Parliament and officials, and they will be asked to work towards its implementation.
“The Government’s ‘do nothing’ strategy is not a solution,” Mrs Adams said. “The industry is doing everything it can to be proactive and get together behind a set of principles that can form the starting point for a sensible regulatory regime.”

“We’ve had tremendous support right throughout the process from National, the Greens, the Maori Party and Act - and lately from individual MPs from other parties. We urge the remaining politicians and officials to pick up the ball with our working party and make this work for consumers’ sakes.”

The position statement can be found online at
http://www.nzhealthtrust.co.nz/pdf/position_statement_140807.pdf

ENDS

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