Herbal remedies which claim to boost male sexual performance have been recalled by health authorities - because they contain the real thing.
The products - Boyjoy, Platinum Plus, Manup and Wei Ge Wang - sold in adult shops and Chinese medicine stores, contain the active substances used in Viagraand Cialis to treat erectile dysfunction.
Both drugs are prescription-only medicines and are known to interfere with some heart medication. They can be fatal.
Yesterday, Medsafe, the Ministry of Health's medicines safety authority, announced it had ordered a recall of the products and warned people to stop using them.
Director-General of Health Dr Karen Poutasi said the products contained undeclared prescription medicines sildenafil or tadalafil - active substances in Viagra and Cialis.
"The adulterated herbal products subject to this warning are not approved for supply as medicines in New Zealand and pose a safety risk to consumers if taken without medical supervision," she said.
She advised anyone who had used the products to seek medical advice from their GP if they had felt unwell or were taking other medicines.
Medsafe compliance team leader Derek Fitzgerald said it was not known how many people had used the herbal remedies, which all appeared to have been imported from China, but at least 30,000 packs of Platinum Plus had been distributed.
"No one has told us they work. The assumption is they would because they contain the material."
The quality of the products was unknown - it was possible some pills would contain a lot more of the active ingredient.
Mr Fitzgerald would not name the distributors or importers as the investigation was continuing.
A prosecution was possible under the Medicines Act as medicines marketed in New Zealand had to be approved by the Minister of Health.
Medsafe began its investigation after overseas tests showed Viagra ingredients were being used in herbal products. It was also contacted by Viagra maker Pfizer.
