A general view of the various supplements inside a pharmacy in Bandar Baru Selayang May 18, 2024. — Picture by Hari AnggaraKUALA LUMPUR, June 17 — In 2023, Malaysia’s vitamins and supplements market was valued at US$1.14 billion or almost RM5.383 billion, according to a report published by research firm Euromonitor International last October.
“So people started buying vitamins, immune-boosting herbs, so at that point you will see double digit growth .” Rajen, who is a pharmacist by training, conceded that consumers were now at a greater risk of ingesting unknown harmful substances through the purchase of possible counterfeits, especially through e-commerce websites, whose sellers often operate without the necessary quality control measures.
In fact, the NPRA received a total of 584 health supplement product registration applications in 2022 alone. For starters, Rajen said consumers should look out for a hologram sticker – called FarmaTag – affixed on the product bottle, easily distinguishable on all genuine products approved by the NPRA.