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The Department of Health (DH) today (May 3) urged members of the public not to take four kinds of proprietary Chinese medicines (pCms) after laboratory tests revealed that the total bacterial count of the products exceeded the maximum permitted limit.
These products are Po Wo Tong Hou Tsao San (宝和堂猴枣散) of production batch 336822, Po Wo Tong Po Ying Tan (保婴丹) of Batch 1398, Po Wo Tong Ging Fung San (八宝惊风散) of Batch 36788 and Po Wo Tong Wui Chun Tan for Children (小儿回春丹) of Batch 121286, manufactured by the Hong Kong Po Wo Tong Medicine Factory Limited (香港宝和堂制药厂). According to the manufacturer, only the first two products were put on sale in Hong Kong.
A spokesman for the department said investigation into the products started after receiving a referral from the Macau government regarding the recall of the Po Wo Tong Hou Tsao San (宝和堂猴枣散) of Batch 336822, of which the total bacterial count exceeded the maximum permitted limit for pCm registration in Macau.
The manufacturer voluntarily initiated and completed the recall of the product in Hong Kong on April 25 and has also initiated today the recall of Po Wo Tong Po Ying Tan after being informed of the test result by DH.
"Members of the public who have purchased the products concerned are advised to stop using them, dispose of the products or surrender them to the Pharmaceutical Service of DH at 3/F, Public Health Laboratory Centre, 382 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon during office hours," the spokesman said.
Members of the public can call the manufacturer's hotline at 2505 7376 for matters related to recall of the product.
DH has also set up a telephone enquiry service at 2319 5119 for members of the public during office hours.
Ends/Wednesday, May 3, 2006
Issued at HKT 20:08
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