Australia’s complementary medicines industry stands to benefit greatly from a newly established partnership between Complementary Medicines Australia and the not-for-profit Australian Made campaign.
Complementary Medicines Australia CEO Carl Gibson said streamlined access to Australian Made certification and greater visibility at trade shows and events in export markets are just some of the new benefits the country’s complementary medicine manufacturers will enjoy under the new partnership.
According to him, even though country-of-origin branding is currently voluntary and underutilised, it has provided a significant competitive advantage for local manufacturers in recent years.
“The industry in Australia is uniquely regulated, setting us apart from the rest of the world. Unlike our competitors overseas, Australia’s complementary medicine industry is regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Association, which requires stringent quality assessments of raw materials and pharmaceutical-grade manufacturing facilities –that differentiation is incredibly valuable,” commented Mr Gibson.
“Australia’s high manufacturing standards result in extremely high quality products, which are well-known for their safety and efficacy, and prominent Australian branding helps local manufacturers leverage that fact. We see the iconic green-and-gold Australian Made kangaroo logo as the most distinctive way to promote ‘Australia’s clean and green’ complementary medicines to the world.”
Australian Made Campaign Chief Executive, Ian Harrison, who will be speaking at the National Complementary Medicines Australia Conference in September this year, said he was delighted to see the complementary medicines industry’s peak body taking a strong stance on country-of-origin branding in its new role as a Campaign Associate.
“Complementary Medicines Australia is taking the lead on an important issue which has the potential to drive considerable industry growth and improve transparency for consumers,” Mr Harrison said.
Australia’s complementary medicines industry has enjoyed significant growth in recent times, growing in value from $2.5 to $4.2 billion in just two years.
Mr Gibson said the rapid growth can largely be attributed to the fact that Australian Made products are in unprecedented demand from Asia.
He said the Australian Made logo provides crucial authenticity in the global marketplace, reinforced in recent years by the registration of the mark in China, Singapore and South Korea (as well as the USA).
