Sir, - Dr Frank Hallinan, chief executive of the Irish Medicines Board (November 18th) says that the IMB's action is specific to St John's Wort. This is not so. Ginko, Devils Claw and Blue Cohosh are some other popular herbal remedies which have been designated prescriptiononly medicines.
The point is that the IMB is now starting to apply the letter of the European medicines law to herbal remedies as a whole. Yet, according to a report published by the European Commission earlier this year, 13 out of 15 member states are currently failing to apply this same law to herbal medicines because it is recognised by those member states as unworkable. This is why, as mentioned by Trevor Sargent TD (November 19th), the European Commission is now proposing a traditional medicines directive to resolve the legislative dilemma posed by herbal medicines.
Dr Hallinan also states that the IMB has been in consultation with representatives of the alternative healthcare industry. But the IMB consulted neither Irish herbal practitioners nor anyone else from the alternative healthcare sector before effectively banning some of Europe's most popular herbs. It is the precipitate action of the IMB that has forced us to conduct a public campaign on behalf of all those who use herbal remedies to prevent the loss of these tried and tested plant remedies. How ironic, therefore, that Dr Hallinan should complain in your columns about "the regulation of medicines by public opinion", since the IMB is itself responsible for initiating the current public furore. - Yours, etc.,
Michael McIntyre, Chairman, European Herbal Practitioners, Nether Westcote, Kingham, Oxfordshire.