Last year the TGA was ridiculed after it officially endorsed a string of clinical indications for complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) — ranging from “moistening dryness in the triple burner” to “tonifying the kidney essence”.

But it turns out the nation’s medicines regulator rejected about 3000 clinical indications suggested by Australia’s thriving CAM industry.

According to a new report published on Thursday, the makers of non-evidence-based pills and potions wanted to sell the public therapeutic goods that promised to “relieve the stuffy” or “nourish blood to calm fetus”.

The TGA experts rejected “relieve the stuffy” on the grounds that it was not a therapeutic indication.