WHCCAMP Releases Final Draft of CAM Recommendations

WASHINGTON--The White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy (WHCCAMP) released at the beginning of March the final draft of recommendations to better integrate complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) into mainstream America.

Among its recommendations, WHCCAMP suggested manufacturers should make scientific information about their products accessible. Also, Congress should require manufacturers and suppliers register with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in order to be "promptly" notified about an AER.

In addition, the commission wrote that the government's pending dietary supplement GMPs should be published expeditiously, and once they are, "[t]he [FDA] should be provided with adequate resources to complete this task."

How long will it take to implement WHCCAMP's suggestions? "That's the next major step that needs to happen. It depends how important these suggestions are to the American public and Congress as to how quickly these recommendations will be implemented," said DavidSeckman, executive director of the National Nutritional Foods Association (www.nnfa.org). He added that the promising actions, such as expediting the implementation of federalGMPs, outlined in the draft may not be easily implemented. "Some of these actions require additional revenues from agencies before they can enact them, as well as additional legislation. Those [actions] with the highest priority will come to the forefront; however, [the government's budget will need to be tweaked for] those actions needing financing." Regardless of the time and money needed to turn this draft into action, this is a great step in the right direction, Seckman added.

For more details about the proposed final draft, visitwww.crnusa.org/pdfs/whccamp0202recs.pdf.