Safety issues associated with poor quality

In September 2001 the MHRA issued a press release about the poor quality of some traditional Chinese medicines found on the UK market.

The release gave examples of potentially dangerous and illegal ingredients found in herbal remedies and publicised the concerns expressed by the Committee on Safety of Medicines. It included comments from the then Chairman of CSM, Professor Breckenridge:

"We recognise that many people value herbal remedies, such as traditional Chinese medicines and are keen that people carry on having the choice to use them. However, there is clear evidence that standards used in the production of some TCMs on the UK market are, at best, unreliable. While many individual remedies are unlikely to pose any threat to public health, I am concerned that we continue to find further examples of TCMs containing potentially dangerous and often illegal ingredients.

There is no reliable way for the public to identify those TCMs which could be unsafe. In the light of this evidence we are unable to give the public any general assurances as to the safety of TCMs on the UK market. That is why the MHRA has called upon, and are working with, the UK traditional Chinese medicines sector to improve the quality and safety standards of its medicines.

When buying TCMs people should always be aware of the possibility of low quality or illegal products. They should not take them if they are not labelled and include a list of ingredients in English. Even then, clear labelling is not in itself a guarantee of good quality standards. When seeing their doctor or pharmacist people should always inform them that they are taking a herbal remedy."

Source: http://www.mhra.gov.uk