New York Pharmacy Fined for Illegally Selling “Bear Bile Pills”

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation released an enforcement report last month, revealing that a pharmacy in downtown Manhattan has been fined for illegally selling a traditional Chinese medicine formula “Bear Bile Pill” containing bear gall.

According to the report, investigators Baldwin and Harvey conducted an inspection in downtown Manhattan on February 11, focusing on businesses selling wildlife and related products (products containing wildlife ingredients or body parts) illegally. The investigators found a pharmacy selling a homeopathic remedy labeled with bear bile and when questioned by undercover police, the store clerk quoted a price of $55 per box.

Under the New York State “Environmental Conservation Law”, possession or sale of bear bile is illegal. The investigators explained the regulations to the store clerk on the spot, confiscated the related medicines as evidence, and fined the store for illegally selling wildlife products.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that bear bile has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, reducing inflammation, and relieving pain, and can be used to treat liver diseases, gallstones, and digestive system problems.

However, due to controversies surrounding the extraction of bear bile, especially the cruel practice of extracting bile from live bears, many countries have banned or restricted the use of natural bear bile and are actively researching alternatives. Some studies have shown that synthetic ingredients have been proven to have similar therapeutic effects without harming animals.

Homeopathy, as an alternative medicine, is based on the concept of “treating like with like” or “the Law of Similars”, believing that extremely low doses of substances can stimulate the body’s self-healing abilities. These medications are typically highly diluted to the point where they contain almost no original substance. Although the actual content of bear bile in homeopathic remedies is extremely low or nearly non-existent, supporters believe that the dilution process retains the “energy” or “memory” which can still have a therapeutic effect.