Professional Register of
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Excerpt from the IMB website:
The IMB has been made aware of recent warnings issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the medicines regulatory authority in the UK and the Hong Kong Department of Health.
The MHRA warning was in response to an alert issued by the Hong Kong health authorities in relation to potentially dangerous unlicensed Chinese herbal medicines sold online. Some products were found to contain excessive levels of mercury or lead.
To date, these products have not been identified as being supplied to Irish customers via the Internet or otherwise imported.
The advice given by IBM was based on the warning issued by the MHRA, The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in the UK:
The MHRA is advising consumers not to use the products specified below due to concerns about possible side effects.
Product names:
- [W.S.] Tian Ma Toutong Wan
- Shi Hu Ye Guang Wan (Ye Guang Wan)
- Nai Chang Ming Yan Pills (Ming Yan Pills)
- [Fung Shing Pai] Tian-Ma Wan
- Bak Foong Pills (11 products - see below for details)
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The Hong Kong Department of Health has warned consumers not to purchase or use specific batches of these products after they were found to contain excessive levels of lead or mercury. Ingestion of excessive amounts of heavy metals such as lead or mercury poses serious health risks because the metals may accumulate in vital organs of the body. Children are most susceptible to the toxic effects. Shi Hu Ye Guang Wan (Ye Guang Wan) is also known to contain Antelope Horn (Cornu Saigae Tataricae), Bak Foong contains Deer’s Antler and Tian Ma Toutong Wan contains Aconitum carmichaeli root-prep (Aconitum is prohibited for internal use in the UK under SI 2130).
