Warning issued on Chinese medicine

MANILA, Philippines - People are urged to exercise caution when taking Chinese medicine.

Speaking to reporters, Leonila Ocampo, Philippine Pharmaceutical Association (PPA) president, said many Chinese medicinal and herbal products are not registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Therefore they are considered counterfeit, although legitimate in the country where they were manufactured, she added.

Under Republic Act 8203, or the Special Law on Counterfeit Drugs, fake medicine pertains to unregistered imported drug products, Ocampo said.

Dr. Minerva Calimag, Philippine Medical Association (PMA) food, drugs and cosmetics committee chairman, said security in the country’s coasts is weak, enabling smugglers to bring in counterfeit medicine.

“If fake drugs are coming from outside (the country), our problem is how to secure the borders because there are many channels through which it could come into the market,” she said.

The government must be able to prevent the entry of counterfeit drugs into the country, Calimag said.

The PPA and PMA are members of Samahan Laban sa Pekeng Gamot.

It has been estimated that one of every 10 drugs in the country is fake, based on the cases reported to the FDA.

The country’s pharmaceutical market is steadily growing, making it a target of counterfeiters.

In its website, Samahan has identified Binondo, Manila as among the hotspots for counterfeit medicine.