Aug 5, 2026 · 8 min · 3 segments
Many practitioners still compound remedies for individual patients. Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners, herbalists, homeopaths, and naturopaths have long mixed natural ingredients to meet a…
Compounding is a process in which a practitioner makes a specific remedy for the patient.
For example, when you went to a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, there would be rows of bottled herbs for the practitioner to use to make your remedy.
Compounding is still widespread, being used by many healers such as traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, herbalists, homeopaths and naturopaths.
Health Canada has published a new policy which is designed to dramatically reduce compounding.
This is because Health Canada is a branch of the federal government, but it is provincial governments that regulate how medical practitioners practice, and this includes compounding.
When the Natural Health Product Regulations, NHP regulations, were passed, Parliament made it clear that the regulations were not to affect the ability of health care practitioners to compound.
The Regulatory Impact Statement stated that Healthcare practitioners, for example pharmacists, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, herbalists, naturopathic doctors, who compound products based on the needs of a patient, are not included within the manufacturer definition.
The regulations are not aimed at regulating the practice of complementary and alternative healthcare practitioners or the practice of traditional Aboriginal medicine.
To ensure that Health Canada did not interfere with compounding, the NHP regulations were written to permit compounding if two conditions were met.
The ingredient being used to compound is a natural health product, that it is a natural ingredient, and 2.
As long as the ingredient is a natural ingredient used for compounding, Health Canada has no jurisdiction.
Although Health Canada has no jurisdiction over compounding and although the law is clear, Health Canada has been interfering with compounding for years.
This usually is done by interfering with the importation of compounding ingredients at the border.
Health Canada will refuse entry based on illegal factors, such as the ingredient is not in its natural form or is not packaged the way Health Canada wants it to be.
As a lawyer, I have watched many practitioner clients lose the ability to compound due to illegal and arbitrary Health Canada interference.
Remember that there are really no legal requirements restricting compounding, as long as the ingredient is a natural health product being used for compounding.
In a clear effort to restrict compounding, Health Canada's new policy creates conditions that do not exist in our regulations.
Compounding is a process in which a practitioner makes a specific remedy for the patient.
For example, when you went to a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, there would be rows of bottled herbs for the practitioner to use to make your remedy.
Compounding is still widespread, being used by many healers such as traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, herbalists, homeopaths and naturopaths.
Health Canada has published a new policy which is designed to dramatically reduce compounding.
This is because Health Canada is a branch of the federal government, but it is provincial governments that regulate how medical practitioners practice, and this includes compounding.
When the Natural Health Product Regulations, NHP regulations, were passed, Parliament made it clear that the regulations were not to affect the ability of health care practitioners to compound.
The Regulatory Impact Statement stated that Healthcare practitioners, for example pharmacists, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, herbalists, naturopathic doctors, who compound products based on the needs of a patient, are not included within the manufacturer definition.
The regulations are not aimed at regulating the practice of complementary and alternative healthcare practitioners or the practice of traditional Aboriginal medicine.
To ensure that Health Canada did not interfere with compounding, the NHP regulations were written to permit compounding if two conditions were met.
The ingredient being used to compound is a natural health product, that it is a natural ingredient, and 2.
As long as the ingredient is a natural ingredient used for compounding, Health Canada has no jurisdiction.
Although Health Canada has no jurisdiction over compounding and although the law is clear, Health Canada has been interfering with compounding for years.
This usually is done by interfering with the importation of compounding ingredients at the border.
Health Canada will refuse entry based on illegal factors, such as the ingredient is not in its natural form or is not packaged the way Health Canada wants it to be.
As a lawyer, I have watched many practitioner clients lose the ability to compound due to illegal and arbitrary Health Canada interference.
Remember that there are really no legal requirements restricting compounding, as long as the ingredient is a natural health product being used for compounding.
In a clear effort to restrict compounding, Health Canada's new policy creates conditions that do not exist in our regulations.
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