Type “diabetic” or “hypertension” into Shopee and the suggestions include foot patches, “original” patches and teas. A patch, tea or capsule that says it treats diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid problems or gout is making a medical claim, and in the Philippines only a registered medicine may do that. This is general information, not medical advice.
What shoppers search
The suggestions are the warning sign
When we typed health words into Shopee’s search box on 27 October 2026, the suggestions included “diabetic foot patch for diabetes”, “diabetic patch original”, “hypertension patch”, “hypertension tea”, “thyroid patch goiter original”, “uric acid patch”, “gout patch japan” and “high blood supplement”. Shopee suggests what shoppers type, so these are real searches, and they are the searches where fake and unregistered products concentrate.
What the FDA has said
Advisories and the supplement rule
- On 27 October 2026 the FDA Philippines issued FDA Advisory No. 2026-1635, a public health warning against the purchase and use of the unregistered drug product “Hiherbs Blood Sugar Diabetic Plaster”. We saw it on the FDA Philippines verification portal.
- In November 2024 it issued Advisory No. 2024-1491 against “DiabetiCure Advanced Cure Premium Extract”, described as an unregistered drug product.
- In 2021 it issued Advisory No. 2021-2708 listing unregistered drug products that included thyroid-related items; we did not read the product list in full.
- On 25 November 2025 it issued Advisory No. 2025-1552, a public health warning against advertising and marketing food and dietary supplements for therapeutic purposes. According to the SunStar report on the advisory and a ChemLinked summary, the FDA said supplements have no therapeutic claims and must not be used to treat illness, and that they must carry the statement “No approved therapeutic claims”. We read these secondary reports, not the full advisory.
The rule of thumb
Match the claim to the registration
| If the listing says | It is claiming to be | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| “Treats”, “cures”, “lowers blood sugar”, “controls hypertension” | A medicine | A DR- (or similar) drug registration on the FDA portal for that exact product |
| A tea, capsule or powder with a health condition in the title | Usually a food or food supplement | An FR- number, and the words “No approved therapeutic claims” on the label |
| A patch, plaster or sticker for an internal disease | A drug or a medical device | A registration or notification under that product name; a general patch is not shown to treat an internal disease |
| “Original”, “Japan”, “Korean” or “FDA approved” with no number | Nothing verifiable | Do not buy it; search the brand on the portal first |
| A cosmetic or food claiming to treat a disease | A product making a claim it is not allowed to make | Check the notification or registration category |
What we saw in our own guides
The pattern repeats
In building our guides we found the same pattern: a sugar-free cookie listing that asked “wants to avoid diabetes?” (a food cannot prevent diabetes), a soy sauce listing that said reducing sodium “is beneficial for hypertension or kidney conditions”, and “diabetic” trail mixes that were unbranded. See our sugar-free snacks guide and low-sodium soy sauce guide for how we handled them.
Do this
Five checks before you buy
- Read the claim. If it says a product treats, cures or lowers a disease, treat it as a medicine claim.
- Look for a registration number and look it up on the FDA Philippines verification portal: the product name and company must match.
- Check the FDA advisory list for the product or brand name.
- Be wary of “original”, “Japan” and “FDA approved” with no number, and of prices far below other sellers.
- If you take medicine for diabetes, blood pressure or another condition, do not stop or change it because of a patch, tea or supplement; ask your doctor.
Patches, teas and “cures”: common questions
Can a diabetic patch lower blood sugar?
We cannot say any patch does. The FDA has warned against a named “diabetic plaster” as an unregistered drug product (Advisory No. 2026-1635). Ask your doctor, and do not replace prescribed medicine.
Can a supplement or tea treat hypertension?
Not according to the FDA position reported in the media: food and dietary supplements have no therapeutic claims. Ask your doctor.
What does “No approved therapeutic claims” mean?
It is the statement on a registered food supplement. It means the product is not approved to treat or prevent any disease. See our explainer.
How do I check a product?
Search the brand or registration number on the FDA verification portal and match the product name and company. Our FDA check guide walks through it.
What should I do about a product that says it cures a disease?
Do not buy it. You can report a listing to the platform, and the FDA posts advisories for products it has found.