Complementary medicines
Complementary medicines include complementary medicine ingredients such as vitamin, mineral, herbal material, aromatherapy and homoeopathic preparations. They are non-prescription medicines and are also known as alternative medicines.
Complementary medicines are non-prescription medicines. They are medicines that primarily contain complementary medicine ingredients that have an established identity and tradition of use. Examples of complementary medicine ingredients are:
- vitamins
- minerals
- plant material
- nutritional substances
- essential oils
- microorganisms
- animal material.
Most complementary medicines are included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) as listed medicines or registered complementary medicines.
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We are aware of products being sold in Australia that claim to contain, or influence the levels of, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD, NAD+, NADH) or nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) in the body.
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We have become aware of an increasing number of cases of liver injury reported in scientific literature, by consumers who had taken products containing Garcinia gummi-gutta.
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The TGA has received reports of serious adverse events in infants and children who have been given compounded wind and colic preparations containing Atropa belladonna (belladonna).
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GMP Clearance compliance verification pathway: progress update
Update on the progress in reducing the backlog of GMP Clearance Compliance Verification (CV) applications. -
Update to listed medicine ingredients in March 2025
Listed medicine ingredients and requirements for their use have been updated in the Therapeutic Goods (Permissible Ingredients) Determination (No. 1) 2025, which commenced on 1 March 2025 -
Consent relating to listed medicines that contain whole live microorganisms as an active ingredient
This consent is given under sections 14 and 14A of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989.
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About compositional guidelines for ingredients permitted for use in listed medicines.
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A step-by-step guide for prescription medicines
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Advisory Committee on Complementary Medicines Meeting 17 meeting statement