International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (IRCH)
International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (IRCH) is a global network of regulatory authorities responsible for regulation of herbal medicines, established in 2006.
Its mission is to protect and promote public heath and safety through improved regulation for herbal medicines.
Membership is open to any national regulatory authority responsible for the regulation of herbal medicines and regional/sub-regional bodies responsible for the regulation of herbal medicine.
General Information on IRCH
Background
A World Health Organization (WHO) working group meeting on international regulatory cooperation for herbal medicines took place from 28 to 30 November 2005 in Ottawa, Canada, hosted by, and with the financial support of, the Natural Health Products Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch of Health Canada. Twenty-nine participants from 16 countries attended the meeting. Representatives of regional bodies and groups on herbal medicines were also invited to attend the meeting. After intensive discussion, the participants agreed by consensus to establish a network for International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (IRCH). Subsequently, the IRCH was established in early 2006 by receiving the nomination of the information focal points from the invited countries to join the IRCH by WHO. The second WHO working group meeting on international regulatory cooperation for herbal medicines took place from 23 to 25 October 2006 in Beijing, China. Since the IRCH was already established, this meeting was considered as the first annual meeting of IRCH. Delegations from 11 of 13 Members of IRCH attended the meeting together with observers from four national regulatory authorities. These terms of reference for IRCH were drafted based on the discussion at the first WHO working group meeting and reviewed and agreed by consensus at the second WHO working group meeting: the first annual meeting of IRCH in October 2006.
Current members of IRCH (34 members) - as of September 2017
Member Countries (31):
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Brazil
- Brunei Darussalam
- Canada
- Chile
- China
- Cuba
- Germany
- Ghana
- Hungary
- India
- Indonesia
- Italy
- Japan
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Peru
- Portugal
- Republic of Korea
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- South Africa
- Thailand
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United Republic of Tanzania
- United States of America
Member Regional/Sub-regional bodies (3):
- ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
- EMA (European Medicines Agency)
- LATIN AMERICAN PARLIAMENT
IRCH annual meetings:
- The first annual meeting of IRCH was held in Beijing, China in October 2006
- The second annual meeting of IRCH was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in July 2007
- The third annual meeting of IRCH was held in Montreal, Canada in February 2009
- The fourth annual meeting of IRCH was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in June 2010
- The fifth annual meeting of IRCH was held in Guangzhou, China in November/December 2011
- The sixth annual meeting of IRCH was held in Curitiba, Brazil in December 2012
- The seventh annual meeting of IRCH was held in Lisbon, Portugal in December 2014
- The eighth annual meeting of IRCH was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in December 2015
- The ninth annual meeting of IRCH was held in New Delhi, India in November 2016
- The tenth annual meeting of IRCH was held in Bonn, Germany in September 201