In recent times, Americans have been consulting the practitioners of Complementary and Alternative Medicine(CAM) in greater numbers when compared to the ‘normal’ or allopathic doctors. This has prompted the FDA to re-evaluate its existing policies on regulation of products used for treatment in the United States of America.
Alternative medicine includes methods such as naturopathy, ayurvedic science, yoga, aroma therapy and so on.
Naturopathy is a science which uses only natural products for curing of maladies which include fruits, vegetables and their juices. Similarly, Ayurvedic science uses certain herbs in addition to natural foods for treatment of diseases.
Aroma Therapy uses massage oils and creams made from plants and flowers for treating maladies. On the other hand, yoga consists of various postures of the body to provide strength and flexibility as well as some breathing exercises.
As of today, dietary supplements, health care practises, products and therapies promoted by CAM are not regulated by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act or the Public Health Service (PHS) Act.
FDA’s concern seems to be the large number of CAM products that are imported into the USA every year. Hence, the FDA has floated a draft proposal to act as a guidance on inclusion of the products used for treatment by alternative medicines as ‘drugs’.
As per the above, it is likely that some of the fruit and vegetable juices, herbs, massage oils and yoga apparatus may be classified as ‘drugs’ in the near future!
It would all depend on the label on the product. Hence, if the label says that ‘Water treats dehydration’ rather than just ‘It quenches your thirst’, it might be classified as a ‘drug’. This would mean that the manufacturer will have to follow all the regulations prescribed for a drug.
The FDA is considering the right approach to regulate the use of products supported by alternative medicinal methods. Thus, the manufacturers of natural products will have to wait while the FDA finalizes the list of products to be classified as drugs.
