The longterm agenda of the AAOM Herbal Medicine Committee (HMC) continues to be the facilitation of a separate regulatory category for the Oriental Medicine (OM) herbal pharmacy. Your Herbal Medicine Committee feels that having a separate category will be the strongest option for our profession.

Recent events with regard to importation and labeling issues indicate that we must continue on this active path to a resolution of the longterm problems our profession has been facing. We feel that DESHEA is no longer adequate to address the problems and challenges regarding the Chinese herbal products that we have been using safely for many years.

The AAOM is a participant in the recently convened ‘Congress on the Future of Traditional Herbal Medicines’, represented by Claudette Baker, AAOM President Emeritus and David Molony, former AAOM Exc. Director and board member. The Congress is composed of all the major stakeholders of traditional medicine and supplements in the US. They are the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), the American Herbalist Guild (AHG), the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM), the Medicinal Herb Consortium (MHC), the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) and the AOM Alliance. This Congress will attempt to define a strategy for addressing the needs of professionals utilizing an herbal pharmacopoeia.

The AAOM continues to meet with the FDA. We are bringing to their attention the ongoing problems suppliers experience with their herbs at the American border. (see aaom.org for more details)

Practitioners should be aware that since January, 2005, the FDA has been reviewing web sites for Western medical indications. Suppliers of Chinese herbs have reported to the HMC that they have been contacted with regard to what the FDA deems inappropriate listings of Western indications on web sites which are intended for OM practitioners. This may also apply to labeling, and could be an issue with customs as well. The AAOM will endeavor to clarify these actions with the FDA in our next meeting with them. .

AAOM Herbal Medicine Committee Members:
Will Morris, AAOM President
Dave Molony, AAOM BOD
John Scott, CEO, Golden Flower Chinese Herbs
Claudette Baker, ISAA
John Chen, CEO, Evergreen Herbs
Christine Chang, AAOM Alternate BOD
Mark Thoman, AAOM Attorney