Pharmacists warn of ‘jamu’ dangers

MAKASSAR: Traditional herbal medicines may contain chemicals that cause serious health problems, and people should exercise caution before consuming the medicines, also called jamu, Indonesian Pharmacist Association (IAI) chairman Dani Pramono said Friday.

Many health products that were labelled jamu contained chemicals that might endanger consumer health because use of the substances must prescribed accurately, Dani said.

“People should be more careful when consuming jamu because most of these traditional medicines no longer use natural ingredients,” he said in a speech opening the 2010 IAI national meeting in Makassar, South Sulawesi, as quoted by kompas.com.     

Dani said every traditional herbal medicine manufacturers in Indonesia should involve pharmacists in monitoring jamu production. — JP