Supplements industry applauds regulator’s move to cut red tape

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently announced it would change its processes for compositional guidelines that relate to new complementary medicine ingredients. 

“Improvement to how the TGA operates within the global context has the potential to be a game-changer for the competitiveness of our industry​,” said Wayne Coote, managing director of Pathway International, which supplies ingredients to the complementary health industry. 

“Removing the previously burdensome public consultation phase associated with compositional guidelines is one step forward for positive reform​.”

Complementary Medicines Australia, which represents the natural supplements industry, was in agreement. Carl Gibson, its chief executive, said he “welcomed this commendable first step towards removal of regulatory burden​”for his members. 

“The ability to innovate is vital to the sustainability of a growing and developing the industry, enabling companies to produce the products demanded by consumers and securing a significant number of jobs across R&D and manufacturing​.

“For Australian manufacturing to be competitive globally, it must focus on high-skill and high value-added areas of production. This is precisely the market segment that the complementary medicines industry occupies​.” 

The government’s Productivity Commission has estimated that reducing the burden of unnecessary red tape could generate as much as $12bn in extra gross domestic product per year. 

“Australians have been missing out on innovative new products, and many ingredients found safe overseas have just not been available here​,” added Gibson.