Five herbal drugs containing aristolochic acid, which is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, will officially be banned today, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
"The ban will take effect immediately and will prohibit providers from selling and manufacturing the drugs. Pharmacies will have three months to get rid of any remaining drugs containing aristolochia, but must discontinue the sale of the drugs immediately," said Lin I-hsin (
Numerous studies have confirmed that the five banned drugs, Aristolochia fangchi, Aristolochia manshuriensis, Aristolochia debilis, Herba Aristolochia and Aristolochia heterophylla, are intimately linked to kidney failure.
The active ingredient, aristolochic acid, has been identified as a potent carcinogenic substance with a short latency period. It has been banned in several countries, including France, Britain, Canada, the US, Spain, Australia, Germany, Egypt, Malaysia and the Philippines.
One of the products listed by the DOH as commonly using aristolochic acid is Pei Pa Koa (
"These products do not all contain the acid. It is important to check the package insert for the product's ingredients," Lin said, adding that a list of specific brands to avoid would soon be made public.
The decision to ban the drugs closely follows a recent Veterans General Hospital workshop on herbal medicinal poisoning during which the adverse affects of aristolochic acid were heavily reported in the Chinese-language media.
Speaking at the workshop, Lin had stated that more documentation on the acid was needed to warrant a ban, while several traditional Chinese doctors said that the benefits of the drug far outweighed its risks. Lin denied that the ban was a result of pressure generated by the workshop.
"Actually, we've had a committee investigating this for a long time. It's just that the workshop encouraged us to speed up our work," Lin said.
According to Lin, the DOH would be canceling 69 product licenses to enforce the ban. He further pointed out that 400 other drug factories that manufacture the same products without using the acid would also probably be adversely affected due to consumer alarm.
"The five banned drugs encompass virtually all of the drugs that might contain aristolochic acid. However, because there might still be others, we've formed an investigative committee to look into how to deal with these drugs," Lin reported.
Two drugs are at the top of the committee's agenda: Stephania tetrandra and Clematis Montana, both commonly used in place of aristolochic acids by manufacturers. Lin said that more research on these two drugs was necessary.
According to Lin Jaung-geng (
He cautioned consumers against medication sold illegally at market stands without a doctor's approval.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
RSS