Audience: Patients and the public. Published 13 November 2026 (AEDT). Consultation opened 14 October 2026 and closes 25 November 2026.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), Australia’s medicines regulator, is proposing clearer labels and stronger warnings on vitamins and supplements that contain vitamin B6. The aim is to help people notice when they are taking vitamin B6, how much they are taking, and when it might be worth checking with a health professional. These are proposals only and could change after public feedback.
Why vitamin B6 is in focus
Vitamin B6 is needed in small amounts, and most adults need less than 2 mg a day. Taking too much over time can damage nerves (peripheral neuropathy), which may cause tingling, burning or numbness, usually in the hands or feet. The TGA says this risk cannot be ruled out below 50 mg a day, which is the current upper safe daily limit for adults in Australia.
One problem is that vitamin B6 is found in many vitamins and supplements, including products with several ingredients, as well as in some fortified foods and drinks. Labels often list it by chemical names like pyridoxine hydrochloride or pyridoxal 5-phosphate, so people may take several products without realising the amounts add up.
What the TGA is proposing
- A statement on the front label of every listed medicine containing vitamin B6, giving the amount in each tablet or dose and advising you to speak with a health professional if you take more than one B6 product or use it for longer than a month.
- A stronger warning that vitamin B6 may cause nerve damage, required on products giving more than 2 mg a day (currently more than 10 mg).
- No listed vitamin B6 products directed for babies under 12 months.
Separately, a change that has already been decided starts on 1 June 2027. From then, oral products giving more than 50 mg and up to 200 mg of vitamin B6 a day will be Pharmacist Only medicines, kept behind the counter. Products above 200 mg a day already need a prescription.
What you can do now
If you take supplements, check the ingredient lists for any form of vitamin B6 and add up the amounts. If you notice tingling, burning or numbness, stop the supplement and see your doctor or pharmacist. Do not stop vitamin B6 that a doctor has prescribed for a specific reason without talking to them first. Anyone can make a submission to the TGA before 25 November 2026.
Limitations
The labelling changes are proposals, not final rules. The TGA’s figures come from reports of side effects sent in by health professionals and the public, which cannot show how common nerve damage is or prove that vitamin B6 caused each case. National dietary limits for vitamin B6 are also being reviewed, so thresholds may change.
Prepared with AI assistance from the linked official sources; it has not been individually reviewed by a clinician. General information only, not individual medical advice.
Sources
TGA: Consultation on vitamin B6 changes to permissible ingredients (closes 25 November 2026; accessed 13 November 2026, AEDT).
TGA consultation paper, Version 1.0, October 2026 (accessed 13 November 2026, AEDT).
TGA media release: TGA seeks public views on stronger vitamin B6 labelling for low-risk medicines (14 October 2026).