I would like to draw attention to the news reports concerning the Health Ministry's warning on the dangers of consuming "Orgacare Unik Plus-1" which was found to contain the restricted drug ingredients "sildenafil" and "tadalafil".
The Health Minister said that the Drug Control Authority (DCA) has a good networking system with regulatory agencies in other countries and that presence of "sildenafil" and "tadalafil" in "Orgacare Unik Plus-1" were detected by the health authorities of other countries that imported this product from Malaysia.
Are we then to conclude that if this product were not exported to other countries, the presence of the restricted drug ingredients would have gone undetected? This product had been registered by the Health Ministry since last year. The public has to assume that products that are registered with the Health Ministry are safe. In fact, the manufacturer took pains to point out that their product is "registered under the Health Ministry's pharmaceutical control bureau". May we enquire what tests do the Health Ministry conduct to ensure that products that are registered are safe? Obviously, something needs to be done to improve the standards being practised by the DCA. In the past, herbal products have been found to contain corticosteriods which can be dangerous if taken without medical supervision. Goodness knows what is present in the many herbal concoctions that are being sold to the public.
This product "Orgacare Unik Plus-1" being promoted to be able to combat fatigue, increase stamina, slow down the aging process, increase sexual drive, improve blood circulation, heal skin disease, prevent hypertension, diabetes and ulcers, reduce fever and heal wounds quickly. Are these claims verified by scientifically controlled trials with data published in scientific journals of repute?
I'm aware that the regulations (or lack of it) were established long before the current Minister of Health took office. I sincerely hope that the Health Minister, being a medical doctor himself, would appreciate the need to safeguard public health by tightening up the requirements for registration of herbal or other alternative therapy products.
No. 48, Jalan Kemuja, Bangsar Utama 59000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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