The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued advice to consumers and the herbal sector about the poor quality of some traditional chinese medicines (TCMs) on the UK market.
MHRA have recently identified a number of TCMs which contain ingredients that could pose a risk to consumers' health. This has prompted the Agency to remind consumers that they can not give assurances about the quality of these unlicensed herbal remedies and to give an update on action to address the problem.
Under current regulations unlicensed herbal medicines do not have to meet set standards of quality and safety. However, if products are found containing illegal or potent ingredients, such as prescription-only medicines, the MHRA can remove them from sale.
Examples of incidents currently being investigated by MHRA include:
- the dietary supplement, Shubao; samples have been found to contain Fenfluramine (banned worldwide after being linked with cardiac problems) and/or Nitrosfenfluramine (toxic to the liver);
- a product, Fufang luhui jiaonang, supplied by a TCM outlet was investigated by the Agency and found to contain high levels of mercury - 11.7% by weight. The product was recalled from 35 TCM outlets.
Other ingredients found to be illegally included in TCMs in recent months have included: the banned ingredient Aristolochia, associated with kidney failure and cancer; prescription only ingredients glibenclamide (used in the treatment of diabetes; improper use can be fatal) and corticosteroids (found in "herbal" skin creams). The TCMs involved have been in a number of forms, including pills and capsules.
Sir Alasdair Breckenridge, Chair of the MHRA, said:
"We recognise that many consumers value traditional chinese medicines but they should be aware that we continue to find some products which are manufactured to low quality standards and which contain potentially harmful substances.