AAHP’s Achievements with National Leaders
By Mark Land, MS, RAC-US, AAHP President
With all eyes on Washington this month, I would like to take this opportunity to give readers a glance at AAHP’s federal relations achievements. These efforts have been supported by members over the past 40 years but have benefited the industry at large, which I hope inspires you to consider becoming a member today!
AAHP has been vigorously representing the homeopathic industry and our products in Washington D.C. since the early 1980s. Early on, most notably AAHP engaged with FDA on a workable approach to the regulation of homeopathic drug products (HDPs). The outcome was the Compliance Policy Guide (CPG 400.400). What is less well known is AAHP’s work with FDA to clarify ambiguities within the CPG over the years or AAHP’s work to define over-the-counter versus prescription status for homeopathic drug products.
AAHP took on issues related to alcohol contents of HDPs, solid dosage form imprinting, Latin versus common names for homeopathic active ingredients, and drug listing requirements. In addition, AAHP worked with the United States Customs Service (now the U.S. Customs and Border Protection) on classification of homeopathic drug products and inactive ingredients as non-food products for Customs purposes, reinforcing the drug status of our products. More recently AAHP worked with the United States Department of Agriculture (UDSA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to declare lactose as a fixative for drug product purposes, thereby reducing the administrative burden when importing solid dosage form homeopathic drug products into the United States.
All of that being said, AAHP officially launched its federal affairs program in 2010. Surprisingly to me, it took nearly a year for AAHP members to agree on basic messaging about homeopathic drug products. For example; what was a homeopathic drug product, what are the key benefits of HDPs, etc. With 10 Q&As we embarked on Capitol Hill. The initial mission was to educate legislators on homeopathy. That meant explaining the basics of homeopathy office by office. Early on we hosted a luncheon at the Capitol Hill Visitor Center for Congressional staff. The program was successful and in one stroke we had created some awareness for homeopathy on Capitol Hill.
Over the years AAHP’s issues were picked up by influential congressional senators and representatives; AAHP took the opportunity of milestones in their careers to recognize their leadership on health issues in general and on homeopathic issues. The awareness of homeopathy that AAHP’s Capitol Hill education program generated enabled congressional support on homeopathic issues. During the course of FDA’s reevaluation of the regulatory framework for homeopathic drug products, multiple letters were sent to FDA from Congress as the result of an effective engagement with industry through AAHP on the regulation of homeopathic drug products.
AAHP’s representation of the homeopathic industry before Congress and regulatory authorities has effectively engaged national leaders on behalf of manufacturers, consumers, and prescribers of homeopathic medicines over many decades. True to our motto, we have represented the “Integrity, Quality and Trust in Homeopathic Medicines.” For more on AAHP’s history and achievements, check out our 100th Anniversary Report here. https://theaahp.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/AAHP-100_Anniversary_Report-Ch-2.pdf