Controlled substances secretly added into medicines

Star: PETALING JAYA: Some manufacturers of traditional medicines have been found to adulterate their products with controlled substances to stimulate the sexual drive.
The reason is simple, said the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society (MPS). There is high demand for products that claim to cure impotency.
“It happens often enough because herbal products that claim to help erectile dysfunction are very popular.
“But how widely this is happening, we do not know. The Health Ministry has shown us products that have been adulterated with restricted drugs.
“The only way the ministry can detect this is during checks or when people report it,” said MPS society's president John Chang.
For example, he said traditional medicine containing Tongkat Ali was effective but results were not as dramatic. Hence, drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction, which could only be prescribed by doctors, were added in.
“Such irresponsible people should be prosecuted for their crime,” said Chang.
He advised the public to be wary of products with such claims and consult their pharmacist or doctor.
“If you have erectile dysfunction, the more reason for a doctor's check-up because it is linked to heart problem,” he said.
Unfortunately, Chang said when it came to sexual matters, people tended to willingly experiment with anything, even at the risk of their health.
He also raised concern over the sale of traditional medicines and slimming pills at outlets that were not pharmacies.
“You can find these items being sold at makeshift stalls in shopping centres and through direct-selling. They don't require special licences like pharmacies do.
“There is no accountability and no way of tracking what they do,” he said.