The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 273 No 7314 p287
28 August 2004

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· Retention fee
· Personal control
· Shipman inquiry
· BNF-C
· TCM
· Counselling
· Publishing board
· Overseas membership
· Brewers' yeast
· Bullying

Letters to the Editor

Traditional Chinese medicine

No list of ingredients or dosage

From Mr O. Supyk, MRPharmS

With reference to David Williams’s letter about traditional Chinese medicines (PJ, 14 August, p221), I too have an interest in holistic medicine.

As a psoriasis sufferer for 20-odd years I popped into a TCM shop recently to see what they could suggest for my condition. I was shown jars of creams and tablets, none of which had lists of active ingredients or dosage, etc.

I spoke to the Chinese doctor via an interpreter. On asking about the ingredients in the remedies I was shown jars of roots, leaves and bark, but no further information was available. I estimate that a month’s supply of the suggested treatment would have been more than £100. I nodded and smiled and left without buying anything, but how many people buy without knowing anything about side effects, toxicity etc?

Orest Supyk
Hinckley, Leicestershire

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