Safety Alerts and Products Recalls > Products found to contain undeclared medicines

Products found to contain undeclared medicines   Woman arrested for suspected illegal sale of slimming product with banned drug ingredients on the Internet (with photo)   A 23-year-old woman was arrested today (May 15) in a joint operation by the Department of Health (DH) and the Police for suspected illegal sale of one box of 4C Cosmoslim, a slimming product with undeclared and banned drug substances. During the DH's surveillance programme, a sample of the above product was obtained from an Internet auction site for analysis. Test results from the Government Laboratory revealed that the above slimming product contains two undeclared and banned Western medicines, namely sibutramine and phenolphthalein. During the operation, the seller was arrested by the Police for suspected illegal sale of an unregistered pharmaceutical product and a Part I poison. The DH's investigation is continuing. "Sibutramine is a Part I poison and was once used as an appetite suppressant. Since November 2010, products containing sibutramine have been banned because of an increased cardiovascular risk. Phenolphthalein was once used for treating constipation but has been banned for its possible cancer-causing effect," a DH spokesperson explained. According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap 138), all pharmaceutical products must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong before they can be sold legally in the market. Part I poisons should only be sold at pharmacies under the supervision of registered pharmacists. Illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products and Part I poisons are criminal offences. The maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment. The spokesperson strongly urged members of the public not to buy or consume products of unknown or doubtful composition. All registered pharmaceutical products should carry a Hong Kong registration number on the package in the format of "HK-XXXXX". Unregistered pharmaceutical products have not been evaluated by the Board and their safety, quality and efficacy may not be guaranteed. People who have purchased the above product should stop taking it immediately and consult health-care professionals if they are in doubt or feeling unwell after using the product concerned. They can submit it to the Drug Office of the DH at Room 1856, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, during office hours for disposal. "Weight control should be achieved through a balanced diet and appropriate exercise. The public should consult health-care professionals before using any medication for weight control," the spokesperson said. Ends/Wednesday, May 15, 2013 Issued at HKT 19:09 NNNN   A 23-year-old woman was arrested today (May 15) in a joint operation by the Department of Health and the Police for suspected illegal sale of one box of 4C Cosmoslim, a slimming product with undeclared and banned drug substances.