Products found to contain undeclared medicines
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| Singapore: HSA Alert: A consumer was hospitalised in ICU and another developed serious adverse reactions after taking health products bought overseas: WAN LING REN SEM CHIN KUO PILL and CHONG CAO DAN |
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The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is alerting members of the public not to purchase or consume WAN LING REN SEM CHIN KUO PILL (金龙牌万灵人参筋骨丸) and CHONG CAO DAN (人参树商标虫草活络丹). The products, which were purchased in Malaysia, were tested to contain undeclared western medicinal ingredients:
- WAN LING REN SEM CHIN KUO PILL contains dexamethasone (a potent steroid).
- CHONG CAO DAN contains dexamethasone, chlorpheniramine (an anti-allergy medicine) and frusemide (a diuretic which helps to remove excess fluid from the body).
WAN LING REN SEM CHIN KUO PILL and CHONG CAO DAN were promoted as traditional Chinese medicine, carrying claims that they contain herbal ingredients to help with a number of conditions such as pain, numbness of the limbs and blood circulation. However, the undeclared potent western medicinal ingredients in the products can pose serious health risks to consumers, especially when taken over a prolonged period without medical supervision.
One consumer was admitted to ICU after experiencing severe breathing difficulty following the long-term consumption of WAN LING REN SEM CHIN KUO PILL. Another consumer developed Cushing’s syndrome after taking CHONG CAO DAN. These products have not been detected locally so far. However, there may still be a possibility for them to be purchased over the internet or imported from overseas sources.
Please refer to the following website in HSA for details:
http://www.hsa.gov.sg/content/hsa/../wanlingrensemandchongcaodan.html
In Hong Kong, the above products are not registered pharmaceutical products.
Ends/Friday, Nov 3, 2017
Issued at HKT 13:00
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