Health Canada is looking at making changes to the way they regulate self-care products. Self-care products are described as being available without a prescription from a doctor and include:
- Cosmetics
- Over the counter drugs
- Natural health products
Canadians are using more and more self-care products to improve their appearance, to care for themselves or their families, and to treat minor ailments.
The intent is to support a more informed decision from the Canadian consumer as many products are grouped together in stores with similar packaging and claims, which potentially may mislead consumers to believe these products offer the same effectiveness and follow the same rules to enter the market.
What does this mean for Canadians & the industry?
Canadians – Labels would provide an authorization number if it has been reviewed and approved by Health Canada in addition to having scientific evidence to support the product claim, or a disclaimer if it has not been approved by Health Canada.
The Industry – Transparency on the rules to bring products to market and review of health claims that are only supported by scientific proof. This means many self-care products would not require review or approval before being sold and potentially could go to market right away, provided companies notify [i]Health Canada as soon as the product is available for sale.
