Hebei consumers in Shijiazhuang discovered suspected addition of sleeping pills in a traditional Chinese medicine drink purchased for treating insomnia at a hospital. The Qiaoxi District Market Supervision and Administration Bureau of Shijiazhuang has reported that an investigation has been initiated against the hospital involved in this incident.
On May 17th, a blogger named Dabin made a public report that a consumer surnamed Liu bought a traditional Chinese medicine drink for treating insomnia at the Puzeh Chinese Medicine Hospital in Shijiazhuang through online consultation. After taking it, the consumer quickly felt drowsy, suspecting that the traditional Chinese medicine drink contained sleeping pills. Testing by two institutions confirmed the presence of the Western medicine ingredient diazepam, and the remaining drugs have been notarized and sealed.
Diazepam, also known as “Valium,” is a second-class controlled psychotropic drug in China, used for treating various conditions like anxiety, sedation, insomnia, epilepsy, convulsions, and muscle spasms.
According to Dahe Daily, Dabin stated that after the video was released, strangers called him wanting to negotiate, which he did not agree to.
On May 18th, a doctor on duty at the Puzeh Chinese Medicine Hospital responded to the report by Kanjian magazine, affirming that they definitely did not add anything.
After registering the reporter information from Kanjian magazine with the Shijiazhuang Market Supervision Bureau and Qiaoxi District Market Supervision Bureau, both stated that they would reply after work.
The report mentioned that diazepam is classified as a second-class controlled psychotropic drug by the “Regulations on Psychotropic Drugs Management” and the “List of Psychotropic Drug Varieties (2013 Edition)” in China. Prolonged or excessive use may lead to dependence and addiction.
On May 19th, the Qiaoxi District Market Supervision and Administration Bureau of Shijiazhuang issued a situation report stating that recent media reports raised concerns about the suspicion of adding sleeping pills in the “Chinese Medicine Liquid” produced and sold by Hebei Puzeh Medical Care Services Co., Ltd.’s Shijiazhuang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in Qiaoxi District. The bureau has initiated an investigation against the hospital regarding this issue, and currently, the case is under investigation.
This incident has sparked discussions among netizens.
User “Peanut Shell”: They know very well, plain and simple, that stuff can only act as a placebo. Adding effective ingredients randomly, it shows immediate effects, but values soar multiple times, money flows in abundance. This is the essence of the matter. In the current climate, even if you have solid evidence, in the end, it will be minimized.
User “Grandpa”: For traditional Chinese medicine to treat insomnia, it may not always show results after a few months. If it works quickly, like within a week, then it must have Western medicine ingredients added. Many traditional Chinese medicines contain Western medicine ingredients, some are labeled, some are not, and the labeled ones are considered ethical.