BATULICIN - PT Bintang Toedjoe, through its brand Komix Herbal, once again held the Talkshow Goes to School event, this time at SMKN 1 Simpang Empat. This marked the final activity in South Kalimantan focusing on educating about herbal remedies. The event was attended by student representatives from various organizations on Friday (02/14/2025).

Titled “Generasi Sehat, Generasi Herbal” (Healthy Generation, Herbal Generation), this talkshow featured several speakers, including the Head of LOKA POM in Tanah Bumbu Regency, Rahmat Hidayat, S.Farm., Apt., M.Pharm., Sci., the Chair of the Ikatan Apoteker Indonesia (IAI) of Tanah Bumbu Regency, Apt. Nur Mahdi, M.Farm., and the Head of Public Communication Information of Diskominfosp of Tanah Bumbu Regency, Akhmad Salehuddin.

The event was opened by the Public Relations & Community Development Manager of PT Bintang Toedjoe, Evanie Noer Putri. In her remarks, Evanie emphasized the importance of discussing herbal products, especially for Gen-Z.

“As we know, Korea is famous for its ginseng. Our dream at Bintang Toedjoe is to make red ginger one of Indonesia’s native herbal plants with great potential to gain worldwide recognition. Furthermore, the rapid advancement of digital technology can also lead to legal issues due to the dissemination of inaccurate information. We hope that through this herbal education from various speakers, Gen-Z will become more discerning in processing information, filtering before sharing,” she stated.

Red ginger is one of the herbal ingredients in Komix Herbal, along with lagundi leaves, which are known for their effectiveness in relieving coughs. Cough is a common disease often treated with self-medication, which involves purchasing medication without a doctor's prescription.

“The importance of self-medication for minor illnesses through herbal remedies is significant. Cough is one of the minor illnesses that can be treated with self-medication,” explained Apt. Nur Mahdi, M.Farm., Chair of the  IAI of Tanah Bumbu Regency.

In addition, Mahdi elaborated on self-medication with both medicinal and herbal products, including its relation to DAGUSIBU (Get, Use, Store, and Dispose) for both conventional and herbal medicines.

The Head of LOKA POM in Tanah Bumbu Regency, Rahmat Hidayat, S.Farm., Apt., M.Pharm., Sci., also spoke on the importance of ensuring the authenticity and correctness of pharmaceutical products, including herbal medicines.

“Always remember to check KLIK when selecting and before using traditional medicine products,” he stated. Cek KLIK is a slogan from BPOM, which stands for checking Packaging, Labeling, Distribution License, and Expiry Date. In terms of categorization, Komix Herbal is Jamu category as indicated by its label and can be checked through the BPOM Mobile application.

The final speaker, the Head of Public Communication Information of Diskominfosp of Tanah Bumbu Regency, Akhmad Salehuddin, conveyed that the media plays a crucial role in providing accurate information about herbal medicines.

“The challenges of the digital era in disseminating health information include the rampant spread of unverified information through social media and the increasing risk of hoaxes and unscientific claims,” he stated. “Media is important in the dissemination of herbal medicine information as a source of education for the public, acting as a bridge between scientists, health professionals, and the community, and filtering information before publication,” he added.

The talkshow event was interactive and received positive feedback from students. With this education, it is hoped that young people can make more informed choices regarding herbal remedies.

Komix Herbal is a herbal cough medicine made from natural ingredients, red ginger, and lagundi leaves. Lagundi leaves (Vitex Negundo) contain active compounds such as flavonoids, alkaloids, and triterpenoids, which have anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and expectorant properties. Due to these qualities, lagundi leaves have been used in traditional medicine to relieve coughs.