Are the mediations you are taking really safe?
Are the mediations you are taking really safe?
By Rita A. Widiadana
JAKARTA (JP): With the country still in the throes of the
economic crisis, most people cannot afford to visit the doctor.
The cost of medical treatment and prescription drugs has risen by
100 percent to 300 percent over the past few months, prompting
more and more people to look for alternative medication,
nonprescription drugs and traditional herbs.
Thanks to the free market of hundreds of nonprescription
medicines and natural remedies, people have ample choices in
taking care of their health.
Nani, a 27-year-old factory worker, prefers to buy various
medicines like Bodrex, Paramex, Oskadon or other brands available
at small stores near her workplace when she gets one of her
chronic headaches.
She takes Feminax pills to reduce the discomfort of menstrual
cramps.
"For me, such inexpensive medicines are enough to cure my
ailment," said Nani. She knows about various medicines from
advertisements on the radio, television and in printed media.
"Every night, I watch television to see a large variety of
commercials, especially on medicines. It is good to get
information from these ads rather than spending money on doctors
fees," she asserted.
Today, one can obtain a variety of free samples of medicines,
traditional herbs, vitamins, minerals and food supplements at
drug stores, supermarkets, by mail order, from multilevel
marketing distributors and even on websites.
Medicines claiming to cure influenza, coughs and more serious
illnesses like high-blood pressure, diabetes, kidney failure and
heart-related diseases are sold freely.
Other products such as natural vitamins and food supplements
to revitalize the body and to stave off various diseases are now
replacing prescription medicines.
Due to budget constraints and other reasons, consumers buy
these products as a preventive measure to stay healthy.
The frantic expansion of the market and promotional campaigns
for free samples of medicines, traditional herbs and other
supplements come at some risk to consumers because a large number
of such products have not been registered with the government.
Some have been proven safe and effective, many have not.
Sampurno, director general of drug and food control of the
Ministry of Health, said the government was aware of the problem
and had issued numerous regulations on the subject, but
violations still occurred.
Sampurno referred to a study conducted by his office during
the l997/l998 period. He mentioned that the office monitored
1,129 commercials promoting free medicines, food supplements,
traditional herbs and cosmetics. The study found 395 ads violated
the regulation.
"We should not let producers cheat consumers by promoting
unsafe medicines. This is very dangerous since it deals with the
lives of human beings," Sampurno explained.
The government is now taking steps to ensure that consumers
are better informed. It has also issued guidelines on
advertisements for nonprescription drugs, traditional herbs, food
supplements, cosmetics and health equipment.
"Commercials must not mislead potential buyers. And producers
must be able to back up their claims," Sampurno asserted.
The rapid growth of the advertising industry since the l970s
has contributed to the rise in the sales of nonprescription
medicines and alternative remedies.
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"Many advertisements for such products contain inadequate
information on their ingredients," he said.
Iwan Darmansyah, professor at the University of Indonesia's
School of Medicine, added that he had found a lot of
discrepancies in marketing and campaigning for nonprescription
drugs.
"Many commercials often use words like, 'safe, potent,
effective and curing' and other deceptive descriptions, while at
the same time hiding the products' ineffectiveness and hazardous
side-effects," said Darmansyah.
The World Health Organization's Ethical Criteria for Medicinal
Drug Promotion, he said, stipulates that commercials on free
medicines must be truthful and informative.
These medicines are allowed to be marketed because they are
considered safe and effective. However, producers must provide
accurate information on ingredients and the usage because they
sell the products to common people who have inadequate knowledge
of complicated medical terms.
"Some medicines which use Parasetamol claim that they can cure
influenza and coughs. This is misleading. Parasetamol can only
treat fever temporarily. Further medical treatment is needed,"
Darmansyah explained.
The growing consumption of traditional and natural medicines
has also caused concerns medical circles.
There may be some ingredients not listed. "You don't know how
many active ingredients there are in each tablet. They can make
all kinds of claims that may not be accurate," he said.
"When you open a bottle of nutritional supplements, you have
no idea what is inside," the professor said.
He went on to say that herbs, vitamins, minerals and food
supplements cannot be promoted as a cure for an ailment without
scientific proof.
He said some vitamin C preparations had been widely promoted
as protection against infection and bruises, while vitamin E
improves circulation and helps lower blood pressure. But
megadoses of these vitamins have dangerous side-effects.
Overuse of vitamin D, a substance that promotes bone and teeth
growth in children, can be particularly toxic, as can overuse of
iron by the elderly, Darmansyah claimed.
More general claims, for instance claiming that one herb is
good for bones or blood circulation, are permitted as long as the
claims are accompanied by a warning such as "this product is not
intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease", he
maintained.
Darmansyah added that the absence of tight control had allowed
manufacturers of herbal products to flourish.
He mentioned that a woman died after consuming Daxen to treat
her diabetes. She had Steven Johnson reaction, a serious side-
effect from a drug. Another Daxen consumer suffered temporary
blindness and was treated at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital
in Central Jakarta.
"This medicine and many other vitamins and minerals are sold
through multilevel marketing without proper supervision from the
government," he said.
The professor said such marketing systems were very dangerous
when it came to selling medicines, vitamins and minerals.
"People tend to continually buy and consume the products just
to get their incentive bonuses," he said.
He said that not all products from natural herbs were safe and
a lot of medicines had not been adequately studied.
Loebby Loeqman, professor of law at the University of
Indonesia, asserted that regulations should be strictly imposed.
Commercials are important to both producers and consumers as
long as they are clear, informative and honest and are in line
with the code of ethics, Loebby said.
Under the criminal law, anyone, including the government, can
take drug manufacturers to court if their products are found to
be harmful.