Burdock root and “duckweed grass”: marketplaces are filled with dubious drugs

It is dangerous to take even seemingly harmless herbs without a doctor’s prescription.

Since the country allowed the sale of over-the-counter drugs on marketplaces remotely in the spring of 2020, Russians have begun to massively use this distribution channel. Recently, the Center for the Development of Advanced Technologies reported that compatriots have already bought 200 million packages of various drugs on 581 Internet sites. The experience of such trade is recognized as so successful that legalization of remote sales of even prescription drugs is being prepared. However, if you look at the current medicinal assortment of marketplaces, your hair will stand on end. Everything is there – from aspen bark to pills, which openly indicate potent substances.

Recently, popular marketplaces have become almost the main place for the sale of pharmaceutical products of dubious origin. We decided to check what kind of “drugs” they sell today in online stores quite legally.

On a popular online marketplace that sells everything from rakes to ships, we typed in “antipyretic” into the search engine. And the search engine gave us a bunch of different potions that any witch could be proud of. These are mainly Chinese, Thai and Russian products. For example, Thai antipyretic capsules with the name SriSri, which is not very suitable for the Russian market. It is also proposed to bring down the heat with a set of pieces of aspen bark (not a single oak). A miracle remedy called “duckweed herb” is also on sale, which, in addition to fever, relieves inflammation and generally helps with coughing. Linden blossom, marigolds, burdock root, candied ginger and broad-spectrum root balm (greetings from Siberia). “Root” can be used for colds, osteochondrosis, and pain. Another proposed “Elixir for Heat and Poison” – yes, yes, that’s what it’s called.

In general, amateur naturopaths have a place to roam, however, in the composition of a number of funds there is something that is unlikely to please fans of traditional medicine. For example, at the top sites today they are quietly selling miracle capsules from covid, which completely openly contain a substance that is classified as alkaloid poisons. Judging by the reviews, this inexpensive Chinese remedy was advised to someone by a neighbor, and some were even recommended by a doctor. But on official resources there is no information about miraculous pills: they are not registered in our country either as a medicine or even as an additive. The manufacturer’s website states that the main purpose of the drug is to relieve fever and sore throat, reduce muscle pain and fatigue. Capsules are registered in China as a drug for the treatment of symptoms of influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections, as well as a symptomatic remedy for mild covid. It allegedly has antiviral, antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, mucolytic, immunostimulating effects. There are also side effects indicated by the manufacturer: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloating, rash, itching, dry mouth, dizziness. Therefore, capsules can be dangerous for people with hypertension, heart rhythm disturbances, smokers and drinkers. They cause arrhythmia, heart attack, stroke and even death.

Experts have repeatedly emphasized that it is very dangerous to take medications not prescribed by a doctor, even if they seem like ordinary herbs to you. Especially drugs that are not registered as a drug or food supplement. The lack of registration in the country at least suggests the safety of the product, and its effectiveness is also very doubtful. “This immediately raises questions about consumer safety: who ensures quality, control in case of side effects, whether it is counterfeit at all, whether the temperature regime and other storage and transportation rules were observed. And there are also questions about how legal it is to sell such products in the country,” say experts from the Association of Independent Pharmacies SRO.

According to the director of the SRO “Association of Independent Pharmacies” and the head of the Alliance of Pharmaceutical Associations Victoria Presnyakova, despite all the efforts of the regulator to control the quality of goods, the introduction of labeling for medicines and projects to track other groups of the pharmacy range, no, no, and dubious goods seep into the consumer production, which can cause serious harm to human health: “In this regard, the question of the need to connect all participants in the circulation of goods, including marketplaces, to the Chestny Znak system is again especially acute. In addition, it is necessary to provide not only fines for legal entities, but also the personal responsibility of the heads of trading floors. Recently, one of the popular marketplaces stated that they do not sell drugs on their site that do not have registration or a quality certificate: they say that everything is checked. But in fact we see the opposite. On the Internet today you can buy anything. Therefore, it is necessary to legislate the responsibility of the entire commodity distribution chain: from the manufacturer (supplier) to the seller and courier. We need strict control over the sale of health products, because our population has a pernicious habit of self-diagnosing and prescribing therapy on the advice of a neighbor, blogger or Internet publications.”

Meanwhile, an experiment on the remote sale of prescription drugs based on a labeling system has already been officially announced, which will take place from March 1, 2023 to March 1, 2026 in Moscow, the Belgorod and Moscow regions. As they say, there will be more.