Health Canada is warning Canadians not to use seven herbal supplements because they contain undeclared prescription drugs that could cause serious health effects if not taken under medical supervision. The products are Arthrin, Osporo, Poena, Neutralis, 5OA Plus, RA Spes and Hepastat. The herbal products in which the undeclared prescription drugs are found are marketed as Traditional Chinese Medicines.
Neither the supplier nor any of the seven products mentioned in the Health Canada warning are registered or listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG). The products therefore cannot be legally sold or supplied in Australia or exported. The TGA has active laboratory surveillance and recall facilities to remove them from the market should they become available.
The products referred to in the Health Canada warning may be sold by mail, over the phone and on the Internet. Therefore, it is possible that the products could be brought into Australia under personal importation arrangements. These arrangements allow individuals to import a product under certain conditions. These conditions are listed on this website.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration advises consumers who may have imported these products, under the personal importation arrangements, to stop doing so and consult their health care practitioner.