Part 4 of 6 in the "Chinese herb risks and checkpoints" series. The list of the other five is at the foot of this part.
Part 3 covered how to read a number. But what you are holding is not one kind of thing — a bottle from the pharmacy, a packet made up at a medical hall, a prescription from a practitioner, a box a friend brought from overseas, a fresh cup from the 凉茶 shop. The verifiable facts differ, and so does the checkpoint.
The short version
- Five things, five rows: what can be verified, the usual practice, and when to see a doctor or practitioner first.
- Packaged products have a number you can check; NPRA's guideline makes loose herbs and a practitioner's own dispensing exempt from registration, so they have none and the checkpoint is a person.
- Singapore's Health Sciences Authority found, in tests of products bought online or from illegal sources, that tablets in the same bottle could contain ingredients inconsistent with the label and could be contaminated with banned toxic substances.
- "凉茶" is not one thing: the Hospital Authority notes that it has no clear unified standard and each shop's formula may differ.
First, the things that cannot wait
⚠️ A safety note: TCM and Western medicine complement each other; it is not a choice between them. If you experience a severe allergic reaction (such as difficulty breathing or facial swelling) or loss of consciousness after taking herbs, call 999 now, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.
Who needs extra care, what to do first if you feel unwell, and the reason behind each item are in part 6.
A note: this section is general information only. For conditions like these, follow your doctor's diagnosis and treatment, and seek medical attention when you need it.
I. Five things, one table
Every "what can be verified" cell names its body: the MAL number and Meditag come from the Ministry of Health's Pharmaceutical Services Programme, the exemption from NPRA's registration guideline, the findings on products from online sources from Singapore's Health Sciences Authority (published on Singapore's HealthHub), and the 凉茶 row from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority's lecture.
| Situation | What can be verified | Usual practice | When to see a doctor or practitioner first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packaged proprietary medicine from a pharmacy or medical hall | Ministry of Health: Registered medicines carry a MAL number and Meditag | Check the number before buying; if unsure, search NPRA's QUEST 3+ | If a contraindication on the label (e.g. pregnancy, lactation) applies to you, ask a practitioner first |
| Pre-mixed packets or loose herbs from a medical hall | NPRA guideline: Raw herbs are exempt from registration, so they carry no MAL number | Ask what is in it and who it was composed for; store it as in part 5 | On Western medication, pregnant, or giving it to a child: ask first |
| A practitioner's prescription (raw herbs or concentrated granule powder) | NPRA guideline: A preparation dispensed directly to the patient during treatment is exempt from registration; dose and combination were decided for your situation | Take it as the prescription says; do not adjust on your own | Unwell after taking it: stop that herb and contact the practitioner; breathlessness, facial swelling or confusion: call 999 now |
| Bought online, brought back from overseas, or unlabelled | Ministry of Health: Anything without a registration number sits outside that review; Singapore's Health Sciences Authority found in tests of products bought online or from illegal sources that tablets in the same bottle could contain ingredients inconsistent with the label and could be contaminated with banned toxic substances | Check for a MAL number first (part 3); no number and no explainable source: do not take it, dispose of the whole packet | Already taken and unwell: stop and contact the practitioner; breathlessness, facial swelling or confusion: call 999 now |
| Herbal tea from a 凉茶 shop or brewed at home | In TCM theory, 凉茶 is cooling in nature (see the FAQ below); the Hospital Authority notes that 凉茶 has no clear unified standard and each shop's formula may differ | Not as a daily substitute for water; details in "Is Daily Herbal Tea Harmful?" (/is-daily-herbal-tea-harmful/) | Chronic condition under regular review, pregnant or breastfeeding: ask first |
This table stops at "how to check". Whether a particular herb suits you can only be judged with your situation in view, and that belongs to the consultation.
Rows three and four both mention stopping and contacting the practitioner, so one sentence to add: never stop or adjust your Western medication on your own. Stopping a herb and changing Western medication are two different things, and the second belongs to the doctor who prescribed it.
💡 Remember: work out which row you are in before asking what to do. Pick the wrong row and every step after it is wrong.
The words in this part
All four are written on product labels, on a health ministry's page, or in the registration guideline.
- Chinese proprietary medicine (CPM, 中成药) — Singapore's HealthHub (Ministry of Health, content by the Health Sciences Authority) states that CPM are medicinal products, used according to the TCM system of treatment, manufactured into finished dosage forms such as tablets, capsules or pills, whose finished products contain Chinese herbs, animal parts and/or minerals as active ingredients.
- Contraindications (禁忌) — Singapore's HealthHub (Ministry of Health, content by the Health Sciences Authority) notes that CPM carry information on documented side effects and contraindications, such as pregnancy and lactation, on their labels. A contraindication on a label is "do not use it in these situations".
- Ingredients inconsistent with the label (与标签不符) — the wording Singapore's Health Sciences Authority uses for what its tests on products from online and illegal sources found: tablets in the same bottle may not contain what the label says.
- Exempt from registration (免于注册) — NPRA's usage: raw herbs and a practitioner's extemporaneous preparations do not require registration with the Authority, so they carry no MAL number. The exact wording is in part 3.
Frequently asked
Can I drink 凉茶 every day? One thing first: "凉茶" is not one thing. The Hong Kong Hospital Authority notes that 凉茶 has no clear unified standard and each shop's formula may differ; its example is 五花茶, where formulas on the market variously use 鸡蛋花 (frangipani), swap it for 葛花 (kudzu flower), or use 绵茵陈 and 夏枯草 instead. So "I drink 五花茶 every day" may mean three different combinations. TCM theory holds that 凉茶 is cooling in nature and is not for drinking daily in place of water. When, how often, and which shop's which tea depends on your situation at the time, and a practitioner explains that. The difference between a fresh brew from a 凉茶 shop, a home brew and a canned one is in "Is Daily Herbal Tea Harmful?" (/is-daily-herbal-tea-harmful/).
Can children drink 八珍汤? Separate two things first: a few herbs in a family soup is herbal food (药膳); a full set measured to a formula is a prescription. Singapore's HealthHub (Ministry of Health, content by the Health Sciences Authority) notes that in general, Chinese proprietary medicine should not be given to infants under 12 months of age unless advised by a TCM practitioner. For older children, give the practitioner the age, the weight and what is in the packet together, and follow the practitioner's written instruction.
Do not: apply one row's practice to another row's object. The prescription made up for you does not get thrown away on the "bought online" row's logic, and the box whose source cannot be explained does not get taken as directed on the "prescription" row's.
The other five parts
- Part 1: Do Chinese herbs carry risks? Which class has the record, and how Malaysia regulates it
- Part 2: The class with the record: what the record says, and why registration screening catches it
- Part 3: Can I take what I bought? Reading and checking the MAL number and Meditag
- Part 5: Storing Chinese herbs — herbs and 凉茶 ingredients in a hot, humid climate, and when "too long" starts
- Part 6: Situations that need extra care — who asks a doctor and a practitioner first, and what to do if you feel unwell
👉 If you are unsure whether "this packet of herbs, or this bottle of proprietary medicine in my hand, is actually right for me to use", you are welcome to book an online consultation with HansMed, where a practitioner registered under the T&CM Act 2016 assesses it with you.
Sit with a licensed TCM practitioner from wherever you are.
HansMed Modern TCM
For general wellness education only — not medical advice. Consult a registered TCM practitioner for personal guidance.
Sources
- Ministry of Health Malaysia, Pharmaceutical Services Programme, "How to identify medicines that are registered with MOH?" — https://pharmacy.moh.gov.my/en/faq/how-identify-medicines-are-registered-moh.html
- NPRA QUEST 3+ Product Search — https://quest3plus.bpfk.gov.my/pmo2/index.php
- National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA), Ministry of Health Malaysia, Drug Registration Guidance Document, Third Edition, 12th Revision July 2026, Appendix 7: Guideline on Registration of Natural Products — https://www.npra.gov.my/easyarticles/images/users/1153/drgd_appendices/APPENDIX-7-Guideline-on-Registration-of-Natural-Products.pdf
- Singapore MOH HealthHub, "Chinese Proprietary Medicine", contributed by the Health Sciences Authority, page last reviewed 24 July 2025 — https://www.healthhub.sg/well-being-and-lifestyle/personal-care/chinese_proprietary_medicine
- Hong Kong Hospital Authority Smart Patient, lecture slides "當中藥師遇見藥劑師——認識中西藥相互作用" — https://www.smartpatient.ha.org.hk/smart-patient-web/useful-information/sp-series/sp-series-details/%E8%97%A5-%E5%AF%86-%E8%A7%A3%E9%8E%96%E8%AC%9B%E5%BA%A7
