The advertising and marketing of OTC homeopathic products will come under increased scrutiny this Fall, when the Federal Trade Commission hosts a workshop to examine shifts in the market and potential revision of regulations.

The FTC, which enforces regulations to prevent fraudulent marketing across all industries including the natural products industry, announced an open public workshop on the issue of homeopathic marketing on Monday, Sept. 21, at the Constitution Center, Washington, DC.

“During the last few decades, the homeopathic drug industry…has grown considerably from a multimillion dollar to a multibillion dollar market. In that time, the homeopathic drug market has shifted from one based primarily on formulations prescribed for an individual user to mass-market formulations widely advertised and sold nationwide in major retail stores.”

This shift, and the rapid growth of the sector, has prompted some to question whether existing regulations–based largely on how homeopathy was classically practiced–are adequate to the current situation.

FTC has invited interested stakeholders representing medical professionals, researchers, industry representatives, consumer advocates, and regulators to participate. The workshop will cover:

• Changes in the homeopathic market, its advertising, and what consumers know
• Science behind homeopathy
• Impact of recent class-action lawsuits against homeopathic companies
• Application of Section 5 of the FTC Act to advertising claims for homeopathic products
• Public policy concerns about the current regulatory framework.

The FTC’s announcement comes just a few months after a two-day FDA hearing on the use of homeopathics. Many in the field believe FDA is considering significant revisions to the regulations governing this class of products.

The FTC’s September hearing is free and open to the public.

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