Washington, DC—The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced an “Enforcement Policy Statement on Marketing Claims for Over-the-Counter (OTC) Homeopathic Drugs.” Under the new policy, manufacturers must have reliable scientific evidence to support health-related claims. Thus, making a case for efficacy based solely on traditional theories would be considered misleading. To avoid a violation, labeling and advertisements must include a disclosure stating that “there is no scientific evidence that the product works” and that “the product’s claims are based only on theories of homeopathy from the 1700s that are not accepted by most modern medical experts.” The policy statement explains that the FTC will hold efficacy and safety claims for OTC homeopathic drugs to the same standard as other products making similar claims.
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