They
say laughter is the best medicine but many traditional drugs available in
grocery stores or night markets are no laughing matter.
Most of them are unregistered products such as
counterfeit medicine, fake sex stimulants, food supplements and even cosmetics.
According to Malaysia's health ministry's
director of pharmacy enforcement Mohd Hatta Ahmad, the Pharmaceutical Services
Division confiscated 33,274 such items worth 22.5 million ringgit during raids,
inspections and entry point screenings last year.
There has been a steady increase - in 2010,
the authorities confiscated 24,852 products valued at 21.5 million ringgit,
while in 2009, 19,764 items were seized valued at 10.4 million ringgit.
“People could be ignorant, buying these
products which are within easy reach and cheap. They look legitimate and
impressive with their attractive packaging,” he said.
Hatta said many of the unregistered medicine
were sold at night markets, grocery stores and roadside stalls.
Another means of distribution was direct
selling and a substantial amount of the unregistered medicine was confiscated
from the houses of the distributors, he said.
Hatta said these so-called traditional items
were often used to treat simple ailments such as cough and cold, fever and
aches.
“Some of the medicine claims to be effective
for joint pains. When we studied them in our labs, we found that they contained
steroids or anti-inflammatory ingredients,” he said.
Some of the products even contain heavy metals
which can cause kidney damage.
He said some cosmetics might contain hazardous
chemicals such as hydroquinone, mercury and tretinoin, which can cause skin
damage.
The fake sex stimulants were food products and
supplements laced with active ingredients like tadanafil, sildenafil and
verdenafil, all of which were used to treat impotence.
Hatta said they were harmful to one's health
if taken without proper consultation and could even cause loss of vision.
“These products are available because there is
a demand for them. If there are no buyers, there will be no sellers,” he said.
Datuk Eisah A. Rahman, the ministry's senior
director of pharmaceutical services, said any unregistered product was
considered to be unsafe as its quality, safety and efficacy had not been
evaluated.
“When we conduct pre-approval testing of
medicine, about 10% of the medicines contain contaminants, what more these
types of medicine which have not even been registered and tested?” she said.
Rashvinjeet S. Bedi
The Star
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