Demand soars for Chinese medicine to treat COVID-19 despite Australian ban
It’s the Chinese medicine often compared to paracetamol.
Lianhua Qingwen has long been used in mainland China to treat common colds and flu-like symptoms.
The traditional Chinese medicine is also given to children, albeit in smaller doses.
Since the start of the pandemic, Chinese authorities and scientists have been saying it is even effective at easing symptoms of Covid-19.
It’s prompted some members of Australia’s Chinese community to stock-up on the medication available in China over-the-counter and with a prescription.
“Lianhua Qingwen is very effective for symptoms such as the cold,” said user Amy*, who recently bought boxes of the “anti-pandemic treatment” on a Chinese e-commerce site.
But the capsules are illegal in Australia because they contain Ephedra, used as a precursor for methamphetamine.
In 2020, the Australian Border Force (ABF) seized 1.3 million capsules containing Ephedra and made over 3,000 detections of the substance.
Last year, there were only 262 detections, which equates to just under 150,000 capsules.
Regarding the large drop in the number of detections over the past two years, an ABF spokesperson told SBS Chinese: “It is likely related to the timing of Covid outbreaks in Australia as well as the deterrent effect of large seizures on illegal imports of Ephedra.”
Professor of Pharmacology at Western Sydney University Chun Guang Li said it is possible for extracts of Ephedra alkaloids in Lianhua Qingwen to end up being used to create methamphetamine.
But he said making the stimulant drug out of the medicine would be a time-consuming and costly exercise.
This is because there a low levels of Ephedra in Lianhua Qingwen and it would be difficult to isolate Ephedra alkaloids from the “hundreds” of different compounds that form the medicine.
“It is generally easier [to make methamphetamine] using over-the-counter [Western] cold and cough medicines or nasal decongestant medicines, which contain pure Ephedra alkaloids to manufacture methamphetamine,” said Prof Li.
SBS Chinese spoke to Oda* who sells boxes of the capsules to Chinese customers in Australia.
She said one of her shipments was seized at the border in November.
“I had another 400 boxes recently shipped and delivered safety to Sydney [after that],” she said.
E-commerce traders are charging customers $22 for a box of 24 capsules, six times the retail price of the medication in mainland China.
SBS Chinese also found some Asian supermarkets illegally selling the medication under the counter at $30 a box.
Oda said the huge mark-up was a major reason why she and other traders found places like Australia as an attractive market.
“I figured it doesn’t matter if one of my shipments get seized at the border,” she added.
“I’ll make up for it in the next shipment.”
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration advises consumers to exercise extreme caution when they consider purchasing medicines on the internet.
“Products that are not regulated by the TGA could contain undisclosed harmful ingredients or toxic contaminants that can pose a serious risk to health,” said the TGA spokesperson.
The use of Ephedra in Chinese medicine has a long history and has been associated with treating asthma.
Lianhua Qingwen was developed by Yiling Pharmaceuticals in response to SARS in mainland China 18 years ago.
Ephedra is not an approved Covid-19 treatment [in Australia] and should not be treated as such.
The TGA said Ephedra can pose serious safety risks to patients, including cardiac toxicity, (potentially triggering a sudden heart attacks), irreversible eye damage and severe depletion of blood sugar, which could lead to a coma.
The use of Ephedra as a dietary supplement has been linked to serious adverse effects including high blood pressure, heart attacks, muscle disorders, seizures, strokes, psychosis, irregular heartbeats, loss of consciousness and death, according to the TGA.
Prof Li said there is limited evidence showing Lianhua Qingwen’s efficacy in improving some symptoms of Covid-19.
He said he was aware that people in mainland China were using the medicine “a lot”.
But one thing you need is a doctor’s prescription. Even if you have access to the medicine, you shouldn’t manage it [intake] yourself.
Australia does allow the import of small quantities, up to three months’ supply at the maximum dose recommended by the manufacturer, of some medicines that are not approved in Australia.
Users must be able to show written authority such as a prescription from an Australian registered medical practitioner.
Without an exemption, the illegal commercial import of Ephedra is punishable by up to 25 years in prison or a fine of up to $1.1 million under the Australian Criminal Code.
Individuals can face seven years’ imprisonment and fines of up to $250,000.
Despite the ban, shipments of Lianhua Qingwen are still getting through customs and making their way to the black markets and household medicine cabinets.
Amy told SBS Chinese she entered Australia with the banned medication in her suitcase without declaring it with customs while understanding the potential risks of confiscation and penalty.
“It was mixed in with my other belongings, so customs officials won’t find it so easily,” she said.
Chinese resident, Lily*, told SBS Chinese that Lianhua Qingwen is used by “everybody” in China.
Before migrating to Australia six months ago, Lily was told she couldn’t legally bring it into the country.
Instead, she successfully sent capsules to herself by air. A fortnight later, they arrived at her door in Melbourne.
“I heard how bad Covid was in Australia, so I wanted to take every precaution to take care of myself and my family in Melbourne.”
Original article by admin, if reproduced, please cite the source as: https://www.tcmha.com/tcmnews/demand-soars-for-chinese-medicine-to-treat-covid-19-despite-australian-ban.html
相关推荐
-
Hong Kong uses AI to bring Chinese traditional medicine to the US
Researchers from the Center of Chinese Herbal Medicine Drug Development Limited plan to use AI to bring traditional Chinese to the United States. CHM will produce TCM tablets and use artificial intelligence to recommend the right ones to patients.
-
TCM effective in treating respiratory, lung diseases, experts say
Regarding interstitial lung diseases — illnesses that cause scarring of the lungs, Zhang said TCM medicines can help lower dosage of hormone, alleviate side effects of hormone and enhance immunity of patients.
-
First Chinese-Arabic dictionary of TCM basic terms published
After years of effort, the first Chinese-Arabic Dictionary of Basic Terms and Specifications for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been published, breaking language barriers to help bring TCM culture to the Arabic world. The dictionary was edited by Li Jinli, a professor at Qinghai Minzu University and vice president of the Hui Ethnic Medicine Research Institute, who spent more than two years translating and editing, the China News Service reported on Wednesday. According to the report, the dictionary has eight sections that cover content such as professional terms in TCM,…
-
The 1st Int’l Forum on Digital Credit and Technology to enhance International Quality practice of TCM
The 1st Int’l Forum on Digital Credit and Technology to enhance International Quality practice of TCM & the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Kampo Pharmaceutical Research Center of the China-Japan Medical Science and Technology Exchange Association was held simultaneously in multiple venues via video link on Dec. 28. Representatives from governments, industry, research, academy and international organizations of China’s mainland, Macao, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and other countries and regions, focused on the discussion of guiding the in-depth integration of digital technology with the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) industry, advancing digitalization…
-
Study highlights novel method to ‘actively’ analyze herbal remedies
Rooted in ancient knowledge and principles, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat many diseases, sparking the interest of pharmaceutical researchers. TCM formulas are quite complex, requiring multiple herbs for their formulation. These herbs act synergistically, targeting different aspects of a disease’s pathology. Due to their complexity, analyzing the active ingredients (the components of a drug that are biologically “active”) in TCM formulations is challenging. Hence, the identification of effective constituents and proper quality control of these formulations remains to be established, with much scope for improvement in…
-
Three listed Chinese firms used endangered animal parts as ingredients, report says
In a report published Monday, the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency urged global investors in the three firms – Beijing Tong Ren Tang group (600085.SS), Tianjin Pharmaceutical group (600329.SS) and Jilin Aodong Pharmaceutical Group (000623.SZ) – to divest their stakes.
-
Interview: Behind Olympic golds, traditional Chinese medicine plays a role
As Gu Ailing won a historical gold in the women’s Freeski Big Air at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, a doctor of the Chinese team revealed the role that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) plays in treating China’s Olympians. Zhu Jiangwei, a physician at the Sichuan Province Orthopedic Hospital, worked for China’s national freeski big air and snowboard slopestyle team between October 2021 and January this year. Along with the team, Zhu traveled to Austria, Switzerland, the United States and other countries, providing medical care to members of the team,…
-
Chinese traditional medicine company’s shares surge on Covid outbreak
The stake held by the founding family of one of China’s largest traditional medicine groups has rocketed in value to $4.5bn after the latest Covid-19 outbreaks in the country triggered a renewed surge of interest in its coronavirus treatment. Although the US has explicitly warned against the company’s medicine, shares in billionaire Wu Yiling’s pharmaceutical company Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical have jumped more than 60 per cent since the end of December. The latest rally came on top of the stock’s 160 per cent gain in early 2020 after Beijing’s endorsement…
-
Hospitals enhance rehab and TCM on post-COVID symptoms
According to Dr Liu Danwei from Shanghai Yida Hospital, the hospital’s outpatient clinic for recovered COVID-19 patients consists of doctors from departments of general medicine, respiratory disease, neurology, TCM, cardiology, health checkups, rehabilitation and radiation.
-
Make Acupuncture Great Again
Calling a losing study a win. Making acupuncture great again.
