Wellington - New Zealand has banned four Chinese medicines sold under the counter as substitutes for Viagra and another sold for weight loss, Director-General of Health Stephen McKernan said Tuesday. He said all five products imported from Asia contained undeclared prescription medicines, were potentially dangerous and people should stop taking them immediately.
Darling Capsules, Dali Capsules, Spanish Fly Capsules and another unnamed product contained sildenafil, used to treat erectile dysfunction, which may conflict with some heart medication and even cause death in some cases.
McKernan said Viagra was the only brand of sildenafil licensed for sale in New Zealand, and must be prescribed by a physician.
The other product, labelled Dai Dai Hua Jiao Nang,contained the prescription medicine sibutramine, which is used for the treatment of some obese patients, but can cause increased blood pressure and heart rates.
McKernan said sibutramine could not be safely taken by a range of people, including those with glaucoma, mental illness and severe liver or kidney problems. It should not be used in combination with other medicines, such as some antidepressants and migraine treatments.
Reductil is the only brand of sibutramine approved for sale in New Zealand.
McKernan said the products appeared to have been sold on request under-the-counter and without any labelling or packaging indicating their ingredients or instructions for use.
Under New Zealand law, prescription medicines can only be obtained on a doctor's authority and must be labelled with the strength of all active ingredients.
