I haven’t examined this issue thoroughly but there has been a lot of noise lately about the FDA and new regulations that will effect our “permission” to use essential oils therapeutically. I so far am under the impression that if the FDA regulates essential oils as medicine as they are pushing for, in those applications, it will be treated as such - dispensed only by dr’s, pharmacists etc.
The attempt has also been made to do this with herbs.
IMHO anything that has a large potential for profit is being systematically controlled by gov’t right down to the small farms and our rights to grow our own food (just a few weeks ago the municipality put into motion a movement to take 8 chickens away from a girl because she lived on under 5 acres in the country. Due to public outcry and publicity, they let her keep them and are changing the bylaw - that disallows “farms” on under 5 acres - the kicker was that it also disallows gardens on under 5 acres - say what???)
The link to thearomaconnection blog (excerpt below) has got tons of information and links, on this issue as well as aromatherapy education as well.
“The Health Freedom movement is trying to get the word out to as many people as they can. Unfortunately a lot of people haven’t understood the subtleties of how this is being put forward by the FDA. As Rima E. Laibow, MD and others point out, what the FDA is attempting to do is shift the definition of CAM from being therapy or a treatment modality to being Medicine. This is covered in detail in the legal brief they’ve posted here, but which is hard to read at that location. Since I haven’t found it online in a readable location, I will post it below the fold in a new post here. I suggest that you read it, and sign and send it at their message sender here. But then go to the FDA Docket site here, and make your own comments in your own words.”
If you enjoy the freedom to use essential oils, it might be worth taking the time to read - and act now, there isn’t a lot of time left.
April 25th, 2007 at 1:46 am
the government should keep their hands out of this. This is all about control and money.Most Doctors know nothing about essential oils and their use so why should they be the only ones able to subscribe a perscriptions. Gov. involvement in our private lives is way out of hand.
September 10th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
It was with interest I read your comments about the FDA. Like many Canadians you are mistaking the FDA as a Canadian institution. The FDA is American and all its rules apply to the US only. The tragedy is that sometimes Health Canada follows their suggestions to literally.
The Canadian equivalent is NHPD or the Natural Health Product Directorate which is part of Health Canada. It has been working with herbs and esserntial oils. Many think it applies its rules only to herbs and other natural products. Essential oils are covered by its mandate and they have already established guidelines, which will shortly start impacting importation, packaging and distribution of essential oils.
The BC Alliance Of Aromatherapists has been submitting scientific data on essential oils to the NHPD for several years. The work todate has been expensive and very time consuming and they are a small organization; however they seem to be the only body in Canada working actively to protect essential oils by submitting the scientific data as requested by NHPD. They have attended meetings in Ottawa, submitted documents and asked other aromatherapy associations to get involved. Todate they have won some small battles by getting historical dates shortened etc; however the rules are now in place and they must work to protect the oils.
The previous comment is correct - in her statement about physicians and government, but it is already too late. I suggest you review the rules, available on NHPD web site - an impressive pile of documents. I recently closed my welness centre as I was required to procure over 200 licenses (1 site license to get approval to package, blend etc and 1 for each product I sold). By the way no licenses are required if you are treating (prescribing ) for a client one-on-one. However there are forces in Ottawa who are trying to change that arguing that since the pharmaceutical companies can not do this we should not be able to.
This issue has been in Ottawa for over 5 years now and still the public and worse, essential oil advocates, do not know or understand the impact it will have shortly.
By the way the BCAOA tried to get an aromtherapist on the NHPD board. They even had a retired patholoogist and aromatherapist available. The NHPD Board decided to have a herbalist speak for essential oil therapy (new term for aromatherapy).
Doug Thomson, RA, EOT