Washington, D.C.--A proposal that would have limited access to nutritional supplements in Arizona has been changed, the Natural Products Association (NPA) and American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) announced in a joint statement. According to the press release, the NPA and AHPA worked with the Arizona Board of Pharmacy, as well as other state policymakers, to change the proposal, which would have required companies to get a permit to market nutritional supplements like a "drug" and be subject to some of Arizona's requirements for nonprescription drugs.

“Natural products and supplements are safe and under strict regulation by the federal government, and because of that the U.S. enjoys the safest food supply in the world,” said Daniel Fabricant, President and CEO of NPA. "Supplements are not drugs and should not be regulated like drugs, because it would raise costs and block access to the products consumers want. We commend the Arizona Board of Pharmacy and other officials for working with us to help Arizonans."

AHPA President Michael McGuffin added, "The state permit requirements as originally proposed would have been inconsistent with longstanding and extensive Federal dietary supplement regulations and would have put companies selling supplements in Arizona in an unreasonable position. AHPA thanks the Board for recognizing that supplements that make claims that are lawful under Federal regulation are not nonprescription drugs and cannot be regulated as drugs in Arizona.”

A period of public notice is required for changes to the Arizona Administrative code; NPA and AHPA reported that both associations plan to submit comments.