Are medicines purchased from hakims safe?
Q: I am a 29-year-old married man. I am underweight. Last year I used a medicine to increase my weight, the results of which were drastic. I purchased that medicine from a hakim shop. Within two months I gained around 10 kg weight. But some people told me that these medicines could be dangerous for health. So I stopped taking it. Now I am again at the same position. I got that medicine examined at a laboratory for Steroid, of which the result was negative. Are these types of medicines safe for health?
A:As per Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, it is compulsory for all medicine manufacturers to disclose the ingredients of every product. Failure to do so can lead to prosecution and even imprisonment and fine or both. It is dangerous to consume medicinal products where the ingredients are not known and disclosed. Steroids use is not the only problem.