WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 1989
PUBLIC HEALTH LAWS ALSO APPLY TO CHINESE MEDICINES: SHW
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THERE ARE PROVISIONS IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND MUNICIPAL SERVICES ORDINANCE IN RESPECT OF ADULTERATION AND FALSE LABELLING OP DRUGS, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON CHAU TAK-HAY, TOLD IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON LAU KIN-YEE, MR CHAU SAID THAT THESE PROVISIONS ARE APPLICABLE TO CHINESE MEDICINES AND ΤΟ OTHER DRUGS.
"ALSO, WHERE CHINESE MEDICINES ARE ADULTERATED BY WESTERN MEDICINE, THE GENERAL EXEMPTION FOR CHINESE MEDICINE FROM THE CONTROLS SPECIFIED IN THE PHARMACY AND POISONS ORDINANCE WOULD NOT APPLY, IE SAID.
"
IN A PARTICULAR CASE, WHERE TWO PERSONS LAPSED INTO A COMA AFTER CONSUMING HERBAL MEDICINE, INVESTIGATIONS SO FAR INDICATED THAT THE CAUSE WAS AN OVERDOSE OF THE HERB KWAI CHOW LUNG ATTEMPT AT SELF-MEDICATION, HE NOTED.
DAM CHO IN AN
AND PODOPHYLLOTOXIN, WERB HERB TAKEN BOTH FROM BOUGHT AND FROM THE
TWO TOXINS, DEOXYPODOPHYLLOTOXIN FOUND IN THE COOKED MIXTURE AND SAMPLES OF THE THE MEDICINE COMPANY FROM WHICH THE HERBS WERE IMPORTER OF THE HERB.
NATURALLY
MR CHAU EXPLAINED THAT THESE TOXINS, WHICH WERB OCCURRING SUBSTANCES IN LUNG DAM CHỌ FROM KWAI CHOW, WOULD NOT HAVE PRODUCE A HARMFUL EFFECT IF THE CORRECT DOSAGE HAD BEEN TAKEN.
CHINESE TRADITIONAL HERBAL MEDICINES HAD BEEN COMMONLY USED IN CHINESE COMMUNITY, MOSTLY WITHOUT HARMFUL EFFECTS, NONETHELESS THERE WERE ROUNDS FOR CONCERN ABOUT THE UNCONTROLLED SALE INDISCRIMINATE USE OF SUCH MEDICINE, HE SAID.
AND
"THE ADMINISTRATION IS EXPLORING THE BEST MEANS OF REVIEWING THIS ISSUE, WITH A VIEW TO ESTABLISHING THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM AND IDENTIFYING THE EXPERTISE REQUIRED TO ENABLE AN ASSESSMENT TO BE MADE OF CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINES AND THEIR USE BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, MR CHAU ADDED.
Ph
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