Regulator warns against 'cure all' products

Medicines regulator Medsafe has compiled a list of 65 overseas websites selling unapproved herbal medicines and is warning New Zealanders to steer clear of the potentially dangerous products.

The products had not been tested for quality, safety or efficacy in New Zealand and had not been approved for distribution, Medsafe compliance manager Derek Fitzgerald said.

Medsafe began an investigation into the websites after complaints from New Zealand and overseas.

All 65 sites were run by internet-based company Gordon's Herbal Research Centre (GHRC), which advertised "cure alls" for various illnesses and medical conditions.

One of the products claimed to cure polycystic kidney disease - for which only symptomatic relief is available.

"It (GHRC) claims that the herbal products had undergone clinical trials conducted under the regulations of the Federal Drug Association and the New Zealand Health Authority," Mr Fitzgerald said.

The websites provided details of a New Zealand postal box and misled consumers about the website's origins, he said.

"Our investigations indicate that all 65 websites are operated from overseas and are a money-making scam."

Mr Fitzgerald said the websites were run by someone in Pakistan.

Purchasing medicines over the internet was potentially dangerous and should be avoided, he said.

"The quality of medicines purchased over the internet cannot be guaranteed and consumers may be exposed to poor quality, counterfeit products that carry serious health risks."

All 65 sites are listed on the Ministry of Health website.