Herbal Medicines Advisory Committee

Job summary

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is looking to appoint two experts to the Herbal Medicines Advisory Committee (HMAC).

This is for:

a toxicologist (not requiring a formal or specific interest in herbal medicine)

a specialist in phytochemistry and pharmaceutical quality and standards, including quality assurance of herbal medicinal products.

Main duties of the job

Members of HMAC are required to:

possess or develop a working knowledge and understanding of the UK and any relevant European medicines regulatory procedures in relation to herbal medicines

attend all scheduled and unscheduled meetings of HMAC (and to be present for the whole meeting)

consider, comment and contribute by drawing on their individual expertise and judgement, as appropriate, on all agenda items and to assist HMAC to frame clear and unequivocal advice to the MHRA in accordance with HMACs terms of reference

be able and prepared to speak on a range of relevant issues and not just on their own areas of specialism

provide formal and informal advice to the MHRA between meetings when required

contribute to and ensure that HMACs advice takes account of a wider view of risk - benefit, particularly as it is perceived by patients, carers and other members of the public

About us

1. The HMAC (the Committee) was established on 30 October 2005 under section 4 of the Medicines Act 1968. The functions of the Committee are now set out in Part 1 of Schedule 11 to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. It is an MHRA Expert Committee.

The terms of reference are to give advice on the safety, quality and efficacy in relation to human use, of:

(a) herbal medicinal products eligible for registration under the simplified traditional use registration procedure set out in Part 7 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and;

(b) unlicensed herbal medicinal products (unless it is subject to an application for a marketing authorisation, product licence or a homeopathic certificate of registration).

2. The Committee may also advise on the safety, quality and efficacy, in relation to human use, of herbal medicinal products which have a marketing authorisation, product licence or certificate of registration, or which are the subject of an application for such authorisation, licence or certificate, if Health Ministers or the licensing authority request such advice, or provide the Committee with information relating to that product.