Advances in Integrative and Complementary Medicine
Review Article Volume: 1 & Issue: 1
Abstract
The use of herbal remedies, nutraceuticals, and dietary supplements has increased greatly over the past four decades. Much of the
increase in use can be attributed to the common belief that natural ingredients are inherently safer and healthier than synthetic ingredients. Estimates of the scale of the global trade in counterfeit medications vary widely. According to the Food and drug administration (FDA), 6%-10% of medicines sold worldwide are counterfeit. Counterfeit drugs are often manufactured under unsafe conditions and may
contain too little, too much, or no active pharmaceutical ingredients. Adulterations possess serious health implications to the body.
Drugs such as Sibutramine and fenfluramine are used treat obesity and have been found in some natural herbal products for weight loss.
Sibutramine increases the risk of cardiovascular conditions like increased blood pressure and heart rate. Fenfluramine on the other hand is associated with severe lung and heart valve disease. The mass production of fake and substandard medications is growing global
problems with deleterious impact on the individuals who ingest them. Without adequate safeguards and quality control mechanisms,
there is no assurance that the concentrations of active ingredient are consistent from batch to batch or even that these supplements
contain the ingredients they purport to contain. Pharmacists must also cope with an environment in which there is relatively little regulation of herbal therapies by FDA.
Keywords: Counterfeit herbal medicine, global threat, WHO survey, misidentification, undeclared synthetic pharmaceuticals, health safety concern.