Shanghai - Experts have defended their discipline following continuing
controversy in the UK over Traditional Chinese Medicine safety.
Last week, a report by UK broadsheet The Independent highlighted the fact
that investigations by the British Government into "dangerous" Chinese herbal
medicines have reached an "all-time high"
The newspaper, known for its liberal stance and campaigning journalism, said
on August 13, "The Government's medicines safety agency has disclosed that the
number of "live" cases involving traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), which
have caused side-effects such as heart damage and liver failure, has quadrupled
in the first half of this year."
The U.K.'s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency found that a
TCM, Fufang Luhui Jiaonang, contained toxic levels of mercury (between 11% and
13%) and a public safety warning was issued on the medicine in April.
But Liu Zhanglin, chief of the TCM department under the China Chamber of
commerce of Medicines & Health Products Importers & Exporters (CCCMPHIE)
said "Chinese Traditional Medicine (TCM) is neither dangerous nor harmful" and
explained that the problems with Fufang Luhui Jiaonang did not reflect upon
Chinese medicine as a whole.
He added, "We contacted officials of the U.K's medicines and Healthcare
products Regulatory Agency yesterday, and reached a common understanding." Liu
explained to Interfax, "This Fufang Luhui Jiaonang case is an individual one
caused by the products' poor quality."
Mercury can affect kidney and central nervous system functioning, causing
tremors, insomnia, memory loss, irritability, concentration problems, and can
lead to permanent damage.
Several other TCMs have also come under the safety spotlight. "Almost all
these cases reported to the medicines' regulatory bodies are individual cases,"
Liu said, and explained that the severe side effects caused may be closely
related to the products' quality.
"The situation is still unclear, but it is quite
possible that these TCMs remedies were illegally exported to the U.K,." Liu
said, adding that they may also have been manufactured illegally.
| 1 | 2 |  |
