Melissa Clarke: More than 150,000 tablets or gummies of melatonin have been intercepted by Australian border force in four months as health authorities crack down on unregulated imports of the sleep hormone. Doctors argue it’s a welcome intervention as online products might not be safe to use, while others say authorities should focus less on borders and more on making a crucial medication more affordable and accessible. National health reporter Stephanie Dalzell has this exclusive report.
Tim Jones: Do the crime, do the time. Don’t destroy your future.
Tim Jones: By air, land or sea, when illicit drugs, weapons, undeclared cash or even endangered animals are smuggled into Australia, they’re targeted by border force. But there’s now an additional focus at the border. Imported, unregulated bottles of a hormone called melatonin.
Tim Jones: We shouldn’t be treating it like a vitamin or anything else that you can just order without any oversight at all.
Stephanie Dalzell : That’s Tim Jones from the Royal Australian College of GPs. He says the Therapeutic Goods Administration is warning patients to stop using unregistered imported melatonin products after testing showed large inconsistencies in how much melatonin is actually in each bottle. Melatonin is used by some parents to help their kids sleep, but Dr Jones says some online products had as much as four times the amount of melatonin advertised.
Tim Jones: There’s an increasing amount of research overseas happening into the quality of these products and that really set off some alarm bells.
Stephanie Dalzell : Figures exclusively obtained by the ABC reveal that 150,000 units or individual tablets or gummies of melatonin were intercepted by border force officials between September and December last year. Once it receives a referral from border force, the TGA assesses the product to determine whether it has been lawfully imported before notifying border force to either seize or release the goods. Tim Jones says while the border seizures might seem dramatic to some, imported products don’t meet the TGA’s strict safety standards.
Naomi Campbell-Smith: I’m very much supportive of this idea that careful action is being taken to ensure that safety of things that we give to our children is paramount.
Tim Jones: Perth public health professional Naomi Campbell-Smith has used melatonin for about five years after her doctor prescribed it to help counteract the effects of ADHD medication, which makes it harder for her to sleep. The 33-year-old says the prescribed product she can get from the pharmacy now costs more than $300 compared to the current product she buys online, which is just $32.
Naomi Campbell-Smith: Rather than the TGA supporting Australians to be able to access goods for their health and wellbeing, they are simply blocking it. If it still needs to be scripted, that’s fine. $300
Tim Jones: is taking the piss. In a statement, the TGA says it’s continuing to monitor what it describes as harmful unregistered products and will notify the ABF to seize and destroy any counterfeit products intercepted at the
Melissa Clarke: border. That report by Stephanie Dalziel and Caitlin Gribben.