The Department of Health (DoH) declared Tuesday that it will remain steadfast in protecting the people’s health following the issuance of a Preliminary Injunction Order by the Manila Regional Trial Court (MRTC) last week stopping the implementation of the mandatory placement of a health warning printed in Tagalog warning the public that herbal products are no medicine.

In a conference organized by the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) Tuesday, DoH Secretary Esperanza I. Cabral said the DoH will file its opposition to the Preliminary Injunction Order.

“Before Friday, we will file the opposition… We will not budge from our position of defending the health of our people,” Cabral said.

Last May 25, the Chamber of Herbal Industries of the Philippines, Inc. (CHIPI) filed before the Ombudsman administrative and criminal charges against the DoH after the latter issued an administrative order (AO) which CHIPI claimed was “damaging” to the industry.

The AO replaces the phrase “No Therapeutic Claims” with the translation prescribed by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA): “Mahalagang Paalala: Ang (name of product) ay hindi gamot at hindi dapat gamiting panggamot sa anumang uri ng sakit.”

Cabral also appealed to celebrities to practice judgment before endorsing products, especially herbal products.

“Before you endorse products, please verify if it can really deliver. You have a responsibility to be true in advertising. At the very least, they should be using a product that have proven its efficacy. What we are talking here is the health of the public and you have a big responsibility to those who believe you,” Cabral said.

However, herbal medicines can run on a competitive edge with registered medicinal products as long as CHIPI can give solid evidence of the efficacy of their products, Philippine Medical Association (PMA) President Dr. Oscar Tinio said. “They just have to prove the efficacy of their products. Then we can even tell our doctors that the approved herbal products can be prescribed,” he said.

All medicines pose side effects, doctors said. These effects are seen in clinical trials and repeated tests that take a long time in order to prove the efficacy of medicinal preparations, he added.

In the case of drugs for diabetes, Dr. Lani Mercado-Asis explained that the available drugs possess a certain characteristic needed by patients with diabetes. She said the drugs are able to “attach”’ to the body in such a way that blood sugar is regulated.

She said there is one Ampalaya tablet that has reached Phase 3 of clinical trials which showed that it can be at par with anti-diabetes drugs in the market if two 100 mg of such tablets are taken in one day.

But she said the Ampalaya tablet has yet to receive certification as a drug from the government.