Jordan: 2,000 counterfeit medicines, herbal medicinals impounded in Irbid
Amman - The Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA) impounded more than 2,000 counterfeit medicines and herbal medicinal products from five herbalists in Irbid Governorate earlier this week.
JFDA Director Mohammad Rawashdeh said the agency is intensifying efforts to curb the sale of unlicensed herbal mixtures that are prepared by herbalists under unhygienic conditions.
He noted that the JFDA found products claiming to cure obesity, impotency and other chronic diseases.
“Herbalists have started assuming the role of doctors. They diagnose illnesses and prepare mixtures according to their diagnosis,” Rawashdeh told The Jordan Times.
He said the JFDA found a lab in one of these shops where the owner was preparing herbal mixtures in an environment that lacked minimum hygiene standards.
“This might be toxic and harm patients instead of curing them,” Rawashdeh noted.
The JFDA recently launched a campaign targeting herb shops in the Kingdom’s governorates to protect consumers from doubtful herbal products.
“Herbalists can sell herbs as they are, but they are not allowed to prepare medicines by mixing them,” Rawashdeh said, noting that all remedies should be registered with the administration and in accordance with its standards.
“Summer is approaching and we do not want tourists or Jordanian expatriates to be victims of these people,” he said.
Last month, the JFDA warned citizens against using herbal medicinal products which could lead to health problems and possibly death. According to a JFDA statement, products claiming to be herbal remedies capable of curing chronic diseases are not registered by the administration.
By Khetam Malkawi
© Jordan Times 2009
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