Warning: Unapproved H1N1 products

When considering a dietary supplement, over-the-counter medication or prescription medication, NCAA institutions should always contact their medical staff and Drug Free Sport’s Resource Exchange Center (REC). Professional clients such as the NFL, USATF and others should contact their respective governing body. The REC is available to inform subscribers if a medication is banned or has been red flagged because of potentially harmful ingredients.

A great example of why athletes, coaches, administrators and parents should always contact the REC is the recent rise in fraudulent herbal products to treat the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. These products are under-regulated as dietary supplements and are at risk to include ingredients not listed on the label.

If you or someone else believes they are infected with H1N1 or the influenza, they should contact their respective physician immediately.

Remember, “magic bullets” and “fix all” concoctions do not exist. If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.

Since May 2009, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned more than 75 Web sites to stop the sale of more than 135 products with fraudulent H1N1 influenza virus claims. Among the unapproved, uncleared or unauthorized products were a dietary supplement said to protect infants and young children from contracting the virus and a “new” supplement said to cure H1N1 flu infection within four to eight hours.

“Unless these products and the claims they make are proven to be safe and effective, they will not prevent the transmission of the virus or offer effective remedies against infection. Furthermore, they can make matters worse by providing consumers with a false sense of protection,” said FDA Commissioner of Food and Drugs Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D.

To treat the H1N1 flu, consumers are urged to only purchase FDA-approved products from licensed pharmacies located in the United States.

Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate) and Relenza (zanamivir) are the only two FDA-approved antiviral drugs for treatment and prophylaxis of the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.

Dietary supplements that are sold over the counter and through the internet are under-regulated by the U.S. FDA. Therefore, the REC cannot guarantee the purity or safety of these products. Impure supplements can cause a positive drug test under the NCAA drug-testing program. Athletes are advised that the use of dietary supplements is at the user’s own risk. The list of ingredients and claims made by a manufacturer are not necessarily backed up by reliable, scientific research. The REC DOES NOT recommend the use of any dietary supplement. Please direct all dietary supplement questions to the REC.