Action Requested
Health Canada is currently consulting on proposed changes to its Natural Health Product (NHP) Compounding and Raw Materials policies. While these may sound like technical regulatory updates, they have the potential to directly affect how Registered Acupuncturists and Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners provide herbal medicine in clinical practice.
One of the greatest strengths of Traditional Chinese Medicine is the ability to individualize treatment. Every patient presents differently, and herbal prescriptions are tailored to their unique pattern, constitution, symptoms, medications, allergies, and response to treatment.
As currently written, these proposed policies could make it more difficult for practitioners to prepare individualized herbal formulas and may place greater emphasis on commercially manufactured products, even when a customized prescription is clinically appropriate. The proposals also introduce new terminology that lacks clear definitions, creating uncertainty around what activities are considered practitioner compounding versus manufacturing.
This consultation is an opportunity for Health Canada to hear directly from practitioners before these policies are finalized. The more they understand how individualized herbal medicine is practised in real clinical settings, the better informed their decisions will be.
We encourage every member who prescribes or dispenses herbal medicine to review the consultation materials and submit feedback before the deadline on July 12th, 2026. Even a brief, respectful submission describing how these changes could affect your patients and your practice can make a meaningful difference.
Thank you for taking a few minutes to help protect the future of individualized herbal medicine in Canada.
