Useful Contacts

The following page provides links to other information providers on the Web which may be of use. This section is constantly updated and additional html sites are added as they become available.

	The British Herbal Medicine Association BHMA is the UK representative of, and provides the Secretariat for, ESCOP. The BHMA was founded in 1964 to advance the science and practice of herbal medicine in the United Kingdom and to ensure its continued statutory recognition.
	Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Their purpose is to make available up-to-the-minute information about all aspects of the medicines regulation process in the UK, together with news about initiatives in Europe and beyond. MHRA website
	Plant Medicine User-friendly free access to the evidence on herbal medicine.
	The European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) In January 1995, a new European system for the authorisation of medicinal products came into effect. The European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) was established by the European Council and London was chosen as its seat. The new European registration system is an outstanding step towards the establishment of a unified market for medicinal products. It intends to promote the free circulation of pharmaceuticals within the EU while reinforcing the protection of public health.  The following links take you to reports by the Herbal Medicines Products Working Group on the EMEA site
	The Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products CPMP is responsible for formulating the opinion of the Agency on any question concerning human medicinal products. The CPMP consists of two members nominated by each Member State on the grounds of their knowledge and experience in the field (Chairman, Professor J-M. Alexandre). It is assisted by working parties which provide additional advice on specific matters related to the quality, efficacy and safety of medicinal products and/or bring any relevant information to the attention of the Commission or the national regulatory authorities. CPMP Press releases.
	Network Services for the European Union Pharmaceutical Regulatory Sector The objective of EudraNet is to provide value added services to both EU National Authorities and the pharmaceutical industry. These services include basic generic functions such as electronic mail and file transfer and specific network based applications for market authorization and post-market control. Dissemination of regulatory information is an additional important objective of the EudraNet system.
	Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) The VMD aim is to protect public health, animal health, the environment and promote animal welfare by ensuring the safety, quality and efficacy of all aspects of veterinary medicines in the UK. In doing so they support Defra's objectives to promote a sustainable, competitive and safe food supply chain which meets consumers' requirements and to ensure high standards of animal health and welfare. They also support the aim of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to protect and improve the safety of food people eat.
	U.S. Food and Drug Administration The Food and Drug Administration is a team of dedicated professionals working to protect, promote and enhance the health of the American people. FDA is responsible for ensuring that: Foods are safe, wholesome and sanitary; human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices are safe and effective; cosmetics are safe; and electronic products that emit radiation are safe. Regulated products are honestly, accurately and informatively represented. These products are in compliance with the law and FDA regulations; noncompliance is identified and corrected; and any unsafe or unlawful products are removed from the marketplace.
	World Health Organisation
	Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew The mission of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is to enable better management of the earth's environment by increasing knowledge and understanding of the plant kingdom.
	National Poisons Unit United Kingdom National Poisons Information Service.
Useful Journals:	British Medical Journal The Lancet Journal of Ethnopharmacology Herbalgram - linked to the American Botanical Council Biomednet Journals Collection - including Medline
Other Links:	James Dukes Ethnobotany website - phytochemical and ethnobotanical databases Australian Naturopathic Network, a resource website for students and practitioners of Naturopathy A Modern Herbal by M. Grieve Herbal Hall - Home for Herbs Herb Research Foundation, 1007 Pearl Street, Suite 200, Boulder, Colorado, 80302, USA. Tel: +1 303 449 2265 The American Herbal Pharmacopoeia Office of Alternative Medicine - US National Institute of Health