Herbal medicines
The risks of obtaining fake, substandard, unlicensed or contaminated medicines are increased by buying medicines online or by mail order.
Unlicensed herbal medicines manufactured outside the UK may not be subject to regulation. They may be copies of licensed medicines, but made in unlicensed factories with no quality control.
Some websites may appear to be legitimate, but are fronted by bogus doctors or pharmacists.
Herbal products sold online may also contain banned ingredients and toxic substances. You can find a list of banned and restricted herbal ingredients on the GOV.UK website.
Herbal slimming products and sexual health products, for example, are best avoided because they have been found to contain dangerous ingredients, including pharmaceutical ingredients, which arent stated on the label.
Read about herbal medicines, including what the possible risks are, who shouldn't use them and what to look for when buying them.
If you're taking or plan to take any herbal medicines, be aware of the following: They may cause problems if you're taking other medicines. They could result in reduced or enhanced effects of the
Taking a herbal medicine may not be suitable for: peopletaking other medicines people with serious health conditions, such asliver or Chronic kidney disease people due to have surgery (see below)
It's important to tell your doctor if you take any herbal medicines before undergoing surgery. This is because: some herbal medicinesmight interfere with anaesthesia and other medicines used befor
If you want to try a herbal medicine,look out for a Traditional Herbal Registration (THR) marking on the product packaging. This means themedicine complies with quality standards relating to safety a
The risks of obtaining fake, substandard, unlicensed or contaminated medicines are increased by buying medicines online or by mail order. Unlicensed herbal medicines manufactured outside the UK may n
You can report any side effect or adverse reaction to a herbal medicine using the Yellow Card Scheme run by the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). This can help theMHRA ide