ANTA > News > News Item: Submission to TGA - Advertising of Therapeutic Goods to the General Public

ANTA Submission to TGA - Advertising of Therapeutic Goods to the General Public

ANTA has lodged a submission on behalf of members with the TGA regarding the Consultation Regulation Impact Statement: Regulating the advertising of therapeutic goods to the general public.

The ANTA submission is included below for your information.

We would like to thank members for their emails and calls with their feedback and concerns to the ANTA National Administration Office regarding the Consultation Regulation Impact Statement published by the TGA.

We understand some members were concerned about the information contained in many emails that were circulated by other organisations making claims " the TGA are regulating natural therapists out of business"  "the TGA is closing down your practice"  etc.

It is most unfortunate emails containing inaccurate and misleading information were widely circulated throughout the profession as the claims in those emails were not accurate and were misleading.

It should be noted that the TGA regulates goods, products, sponsors and manufacturers but does not regulate or have authority over practitioners. Practitioners are regulated under Federal (NRAS), other relevant State and Local laws and regulations.

The bottom line on the whole issue is:

If sponsors or manufacturers register the goods or products with the TGA and the sponsors or manufacturers promote and advertise  those goods and products in accordance with the indications registered with the TGA, practitioners will continue to have access to those goods and products. If sponsors or manufacturers do not register the goods or products with the TGA or sponsors or manufacturers do not advertise or promote those goods or products in line with indications registered with the TGA,  they are breaking the law and the TGA will request those goods or products to withdrawn for the market place.

If sponsors or manufacturers do the right thing (which most of them do) then practitioners will continue to have access to their "tools of trade".

The ANTA submission to the TGA strongly and robustly reinforces the evidence and reasons why the TGA must  maintain the current system in regard to Proposal 6; Advertising directed to health professionals.

The ANTA proposal also calls for Naturopaths, Homoeopaths, Herbalists, Nutritionists, Musculoskeletal Therapists, Myotherapists, Remedial Massage Therapists, Aromatherapists and Ayurvedic Practitioners to be registered under the Federal Government National Registration and Accreditation Scheme.

Submission to TGA - Advertising of Therapeutic Goods to the General Public » (PDF 118kb)