Gordon Currie

A woman whose brother died after taking a natural remedy, wept in court yesterday as she called for the tablets to be strictly regulated and tested.

Elaine Ferrie told a fatal accident inquiry that herbal remedies should carry warnings about possible side effects.

The inquiry at Perth had previously heard how Norman Ferrie, 64, died of catastrophic liver failure after taking a shop-bought remedy made from crab and lobster shells.

The inquiry was told that the Glucosamine tablets were treated as a food supplement and were not subject to strict controls like medicines.

Miss Ferrie, 59, said: "These herbal remedies and vitamins are seen by the public as medicines and as this is their understanding they expect them to be manufactured safely and as rigorously tested and regulated as prescription medicines.

"This was certainly my understanding until my brother's death. Complementary medicine is a huge business in the UK and as more and more people turn to them for relief from their disabilities, more people may be at risk."

She told Sheriff Michael Fletcher: "We hope your recommendations will include that testing, regulations and controls regarding the manufacture and supply of these products are put in place."

Ms Ferrie also called for more publicity for the yellow card system - which allows doctors and members of the public to report adverse drug reactions.

David Carter, of the Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, said glucosamine was a £50m-a-year business in the UK.

He said he had been informed that one billion of the unlicensed pills - used to combat arthritic pain - were consumed by the public.

"The great majority of glucosamine on the UK market is extracted from seafood shells. Around £50m of glucosamine was sold in the UK in 2007."

Mr Carter said his office - part of the Department of Health - had taken action on 56 separate complaints against glucosamine producers in the past decade. Colleague Michael Foye told the inquiry that the yellow card system for adverse drug reactions got around 20,000 reports each year. He said there had been 170 reports about glucosamine.

He said there were gaps in the reporting system because people often took herbal, or natural, remedies without telling their doctor what they were taking.

Mr Foye said he would advise all people planning to take High Street over-the-counter tablets, like glucosamine, to inform their GP.

The inquiry had heard how Mr Ferrie died within weeks of starting a course of glucosamine to tackle pain in his arthritic joints.

A liver expert told a fatal inquiry that it was one of three similar cases which showed up at the same time in the Tayside area.

Ninewells Hospital consultant gastroenterologist, Dr John Dillon, 44, said the public should be warned about the potential danger of herbal remedies.

He said there was a public perception that such remedies were safe, despite them not undergoing strict clinical testing like prescribed medication.

Sheriff Fletcher said he would issue his findings in writing at a later date.