Once a product has been assessed and has been found to be high-quality, safe and effective, Health Canada issues a license, which is accompanied by an 8-digit ‘Natural Product Number’ (NPN).

To get product and site licences, specific labelling and packaging requirements must be met, good manufacturing practices must be followed, and proper safety and efficacy evidence must be provided.

All NHPs (Natural Health Products) sold in Canada are subject to the Natural Health Products Regulations, which came into force on January 1, 2004.

The Regulations help give Canadians access to a wide range of NHPs that are safe, effective and of high quality.

The Natural Health Products Regulations were created after many consultations with Canadian consumers, academics, health care practitioners and industry stakeholders. They address Canadians’ concerns about NHP availability and safety, as well as the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health’s 53 recommendations on the regulation of NHPs in Canada.

To get a licence, applicants must give detailed information about the product to Health Canada, including: medicinal ingredients, source, dose, potency, non-medicinal ingredients and recommended use(s).

The safety and efficacy of NHPs and their health claims must be supported by proper evidence so that consumers and Health Canada know the products are indeed safe and effective. Evidence may include clinical trial data or references to published studies, journals, pharmacopoeias and traditional resources. The type and amount of supporting evidence required depends on the proposed health claim of the product and its overall risks.

Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/natural-non-prescription/regulation.html