The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    FDA wants to rate UVA protection in sunscreen products

    Using a scale of 1 to 4 stars, the proposed regulation will help consumers identify the level of UVA protection offered by a product.

    If a sunscreen product does not provide at least a low level (one star) of protection, the FDA is proposing to require that the product bear a “no UVA protection” marking on the front label near the SPF value.

    Ratings would be derived from 2 tests. The first test measures a product’s ability to reduce the amount of UVA radiation that passes through it. The second test measures a product’s ability to prevent tanning. This test is nearly identical to the SPF test used to determine the effectiveness of UVB sunscreen products.

    In addition, a “Warnings” statement will be added to the “Drug Facts” box in order to increase awareness that sunscreens are only one part of a sun protection program.

    My only comment is that I’m surprised they are using “stars.” Wouldn’t “suns” with little smiley faces be more appropriate?

    A related article from the Sun Screen Foundation is here.

    The agency is soliciting comments until November 26, 2007.
    Division of Dockets Management
    Food and Drug Administration
    5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061
    Rockville, MD 20852
    Fax: 301-827-6870

    8/30/07 09:35 JR

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