PORT MORESBY (The National/PINA) — Papua New Guinea’s news media have been urged to act as a watchdog on traditional and herbal medicine by the new Pharmacy Board of Papua New Guinea.
It wants them to ensure that drugs like herbal and traditional medicines cannot be advertised unless proven scientifically.
Health Secretary Nicholas Mann made the call when announcing the five new Pharmacy Board members, the new Medicine and Cosmetic Act 1999 and the Medicines and Cosmetic Regulations 2002.
Mann urged the news media to be cautious when advertising traditional and herbal medicine.
He said the news media have to be sure that the medicine they are trying to advertise is proven beyond doubt that it works in healing people from sicknesses.
He said traditional medicine has been practiced in Papua New Guinea for many years. But the people have to be conscious of them by distinguishing the positive medicine from the negative ones, he said.
The new Medicine and Cosmetic Act of 1999 prohibits street or door-to-door sale of any medicinal product in the country.
Medicines can only be sold by persons who are licensed to do so at their place of business.
The Pharmacy Board, which was established last year to implement the act, will also ensure that any medicine sold in Papua New Guinea must be able to do what the seller claims it can do.
The regulations of the new Medicine and Cosmetic Act also state that quasi medicines, herbal or traditional medicines can not be advertised.
