Unapproved, Sometimes Dangerous Drugs Found In Dietary Supplements
The research concluded the drug sold as Viagra was often found in adulterated supplements. Despite what consumers may think, the supplements are actually regulated as food and therefore not subject to premarket safety and effectiveness testing imposed on pharmaceuticals.
San Francisco Chronicle:
Those Dietary Supplements You’re Taking May Be Contaminated, Study Shows
Nearly 800 dietary supplements sold in the United States were found to be contaminated with unapproved ingredients — in some cases, drugs that have been banned by the Food and Drug Administration — in an industry analysis by California public health scientists. Most of the tainted supplements were marketed for sexual enhancement, muscle building or weight loss, and the ingredients found in them were often pharmaceutical drugs — such as steroids or the active ingredient in Viagra — that consumers normally need a prescription to take. (Allday, 10/12)
California Healthline:
Hidden Drugs And Danger Lurk In Over-The-Counter Supplements, Study Finds
Many of these products contain unapproved and unregulated pharmaceutically active ingredients, according to a study published Friday in JAMA Network Open. The authors wrote that the substances represent “a serious public health concern. ”Researchers from the California Department of Public Health found that, from 2007 to 2016, 776 products marketed as dietary supplements contained hidden active ingredients that are unsafe or unstudied. Among them, dapoxetine, an antidepressant that is not approved in the United States; and sibutramine, which was included in some weight-loss supplements but was banned from the U.S. market in 2010 because of cardiovascular risks. (Bluth, 10/12)