Other safety alerts
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| 1,3-Dimethylamylamine put under control as pharmaceutical product |
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On 5 December 2012, the Registration Committee of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board decided to regulate 1,3-Dimethylamylamine (DMAA) as pharmaceutical product with effect from 1 April 2013, after considering the pharmacological effects of DMAA, its potential risk of causing adverse effects and the international situations in the control of DMAA.
Therefore, DMAA must be registered as pharmaceutical product with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board before they can be legally sold in Hong Kong. Any person who sells, offers for sale or distributes or possesses for the purposes of sale, distribution or other use any unregistered pharmaceutical product is liable to prosecution. The maximum penalty is a fine of $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment. So far, no product containing DMAA has been registered in Hong Kong.
DMAA was first synthesized as a nasal decongestant in 1940s. It can narrow the blood vessels and elevate blood pressure, leading to cardiovascular events ranging from shortness of breath to heart attack. DMAA containing products had been banned or removed from the market by overseas health authorities including the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Finland, Canada and Australia. DMAA is found in some body building supplements and weight loss products such as “Jack3d“.
Wholesalers and retailers must stop selling or distributing “Jack3d” and other DMAA containing products and remove them from shelves and market. DH will prosecute traders for illegal possession of DMAA containing products for sale or distribution.
Members of the public should not buy nor use “Jack3d” and other DMAA containing products. They should consult healthcare professionals for advice if they feel unwell after using the products. Members of the public could submit the products to the Department of Health Drug Office at 3/F., Public Health Laboratory Centre, 382 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon during office hours for disposal.
Please refer to the following press statement for details
http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/../P201212060528.htm
Ends
Friday, December 07 2012
Issued at HKT 12:00 |
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