Status: Active
Date issued: 24 August 2022
Issued by: Dr Angie Bone, Deputy Chief Health Officer (Environment)
Issued to: Health professionals and consumers
Key messages
- An Ayurvedic medication ‘Penisole’ (capsule), purchased online and imported from overseas, has been found to contain extremely high levels of lead.
- This product is most likely to be used by men for sexual dysfunction.
- Anyone who is using this product should be advised to stop immediately, consult a GP and arrange testing for lead.
- This incident is a timely reminder about the value of asking patients if they use complementary medicines and where they purchase them from.
- Only complementary medicines included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods and labelled ‘AUST L’ or ‘AUST R’ have been approved for supply in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
- The Department of Health must be notified of all blood lead levels greater than 5 μg/dL within five days of diagnosis.
Read the full advisory: Ayurvedic medicine and lead contamination
