The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7159 p139-143
4 August 2001

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Irish crackdown on illegal medicines

Extra enforcement officers are being recruited by the Medicines Board in the Irish Republic in a crackdown on those peddling illegal, and often dangerous, health-related products to the public.

The recruitment drive follows the successful prosecution in Ireland of a self-styled herbalist for selling unlicensed creams for eczema which contained steroids (PJ, 30 June). Donal Walsh, of Askeaton, County Limerick, was fined IR£5,700 after pleading guilty to charges. He had recommended the creams for use on children, some of whom had subsequently required hospital treatment.

Mr Walsh was also prosecuted in Britain on similar charges but repeatedly failed to turn up at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court.

According to Dr Frank Hallinan, chief executive of the Medicines Board, there will be a significant boost in the number of enforcement officers. “The level of illegal activity in relation to medical products has been higher than anticipated,” he said.

The Irish Medicines Board has recently taken action on the use of botulinum A toxin (Botox) by unauthorised practitioners in beauty clinics and on Shu Gan Wan, a Chinese stomach and liver remedy that was found to contain toxic levels of mercury.

Ireland is now to establish a registration and regulation system for practitioners of alternative medicine.

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