Irish Health Trade Association

The IHTA represents the interests of manufacturers, importers, and distributors of specialist health products in Ireland. These include vitamin and mineral supplements, herbal preparations, homeopathic products, flower remedies, natural body care products and health foods. These products are typically stocked in health/health food stores nationwide and also increasingly in community pharmacies nationwide.

The principal aim of the IHTA is to promote the wellness of all people in Ireland and to ensure they have the freedom to continue to access natural health products and traditional medicines that are safe, efficacious, and of high quality.

The principal aim of the Irish Health Trade Association is to promote the wellness of all people in Ireland and to ensure they have freedom to access traditional medicines and natural health products of their choice that are safe, efficacious and of high quality.

The Association has campaigned for many years to have an appropriate regulatory system in place at official level, which would allow the widest possible availability of these products while safeguarding public health, and ensuring quality standards of manufacture and distribution. The IHTA has established positive consultative links with the national regulators.

To represent the interests of the natural and complementary healthcare products industry by ensuring that the views and interests of the industry are recognized by those institutions at home and within Europe that are involved in matters relating to our sector.
To build and nurture close relationships with other relevant partners/institutions in and outside Ireland e.g. DoHC, FSAI, IMB, IAHS, IPU, the European Commission, the European Parliament, HFMA, EHPM, IADSA, ECHAMP, IADSA, ECH, ESCOP, etc.
To be regularly consulted in draft decisions made by, for example, the DoHC, the FSAI, and the IMB, which relate to matters affecting our sector and sub-sectors.
To ensure the continued supply of the full range of natural and complementary health products, so as to secure freedom of consumer choice and the continuous growth and prosperity of IHTA member companies and the sector as a whole.
To fully support consumers’ basic human rights to make their own educated decisions and exercise freedom of choice in relation to safe, efficacious, and high quality health products, in order to maintain or improve their health and wellbeing.
To raise the profile and image of the IHTA and our sector ‘in the eyes’ of all important external stakeholders e.g. DoHC, FSAI, IMB, government, the general public, the media, the medical profession, the pharmacy profession and other healthcare practitioners.
To encourage and facilitate sharing of the information, knowledge, expertise and ideas of member companies for the development and growth of the sector as a whole.
To provide our members with information, advice and other ‘value added’ services.
To promote industry self- regulation in terms of product, promotional and distribution standards.
To work together as an association of member companies towards a healthier Ireland.