"Miracle cure" sows danger

Acute cases of poisoning and allergies can be managed, but prolonged poisoning and chronic damage will present unpredictable challenges.

In recent days, the Ministry of Health has had to issue an urgent directive requesting the nationwide recall of many counterfeit and fake drugs circulating in the market, which are negatively impacting public health.

Nearly died because of a packet of traditional Chinese medicine.

The latest case of poisoning from a "miracle drug" that was successfully treated at People's Hospital 115 (Ho Chi Minh City) is a 60-year-old female patient residing in Ho Chi Minh City. The patient was admitted in critical condition: rapid pulse, cyanosis, difficulty breathing, and repeated vomiting...

Doctors diagnosed her with anaphylactic shock due to taking an unknown type of traditional Chinese medicine. This patient was undergoing prescribed treatment and physical therapy following a stroke with residual hemiparesis.

Earlier, she happened to meet a "healer" who gave her a packet of herbal powder to treat sciatica. Following his instructions, she took one teaspoon of the powder and mixed it with water to drink. Immediately after drinking the medicine, she suddenly vomited violently, her face turned pale, and she collapsed unconscious.

Counterfeit dietary supplements were discovered at Bao Khang Company.

According to Dr. Nguyen Dinh Phu, Deputy Director of People's Hospital 115, this was a very severe case of drug shock due to consuming powdered traditional Chinese medicine of unknown origin, without a name, and made according to family tradition, beyond the control of the health sector.

Without prompt emergency treatment, the risk of death from severe anaphylactic shock is very high. These types of medications are difficult to manage because doctors do not know the name of the drug or its active ingredient.

Such cases are not uncommon. Cho Ray Hospital frequently receives emergency cases of herbal medicine poisoning, and most recently, there were two cases, both involving women.

A 65-year-old patient developed mouth sores, boils around the mouth, and numbness in both legs after taking An Gong Niu Huang Wan (a Chinese medicine) to treat varicose veins in her legs. Her condition worsened, with symptoms including coughing, loss of appetite, weight loss, and inability to stand. Meanwhile, a 26-year-old female patient being treated for lupus erythematosus, taking a combination of traditional and Western medicine, suffered severe complications and was diagnosed with metal poisoning.

Dr. Doan Uyen Vy, a specialist in treating poisoning at Cho Ray Hospital, warns against the misconception that traditional medicine, being of natural origin, is safe. In reality, some medicines derived from minerals contain heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, and lead, which can have undesirable side effects, causing chronic damage or even death.

Use with alertness and caution.

While homemade "miracle cures" with numerous dangers are being secretly passed around and used, the widespread production and sale of counterfeit and fake cosmetics and dietary supplements is also causing public concern.

Most recently, the Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health decided to suspend the circulation and urgently recall nationwide 56 cosmetic products containing gum arabic and Tan Dai Duong gum arabic, manufactured by Tan Dai Duong Import-Export Trading and Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (located in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City).

This company had previously been penalized for violating regulations by producing and selling counterfeit Sắc Ngọc Khang cosmetics (of Hoa Thiên Phú Pharmaceutical Company), specifically the Sắc Ngọc Khang gum arabic product. According to Mr. Nguyễn Tất Đạt, Deputy Director of the Drug Administration Department, these products were suspended from circulation and recalled because their production did not meet the principles and standards of "Good Manufacturing Practice for Cosmetics" of the Association of Southeast Asian Countries (GMP-ASEAN).

Subsequently, the Ministry of Public Security also arrested the leaders of Bao Khang Co., Ltd. (Ward 10, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City) for the act of trading counterfeit dietary supplements. This company directly affixed fake labels, divided and packaged finished products of American weight-loss dietary supplement brands, and distributed them to the market...

According to health experts, the production of products for human health (pharmaceuticals, food, dietary supplements, etc.) is of paramount importance and requires extremely strict standards. Products of unknown origin, counterfeit goods, and fake products pose a threat to public health.

Acute cases of poisoning or allergic reactions can be treated, but prolonged poisoning poses an immeasurable threat. For example, with cosmetics, an allergic reaction that is not treated promptly can lead to complications such as sepsis, pneumonia, electrolyte imbalance, and can even be life-threatening.

As for dietary supplements, using counterfeit or fake products, or using them incorrectly, can cause allergies, rashes, difficulty breathing, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Pharmaceutical Association, the current loophole in cosmetic management is that cosmetic manufacturers self-declare their products and then distribute them themselves, while regulatory agencies only conduct post-inspection when incidents occur. By then, substandard cosmetics have already harmed consumers.

According to Alobacsi.vn