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The Department of Health (DH) today (August 24) instructed a licensed proprietary Chinese medicines (pCm) manufacturer, Shun Hing Hoo Medicine Powder (Shun Hing), to recall the unregistered pCm (see Annex) that supplied to its clients in an unlicensed address at Flat C, 1/F, 168 Queen's Road West, Sheung Wan.
The recall followed the DH's joint operation with the police today after the department's investigation into an intelligence related to the above premises.
A DH spokesman said, "Preliminary investigation revealed that Shun Hing registered its address at Aberdeen for manufacturing of pCm. However, DH inspectors found that there were pCm at Sheung Wan premises and neither the pCm nor the premises have been registered with the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong (CMC). Shun Hing confirmed that these unregistered pCm were manufactured at Aberdeen and transported to Sheung Wan for storage and sale."
"While the distribution of these pCm is still under investigation, preliminary information also revealed that the unregistered products were mainly sold to qualified Chinese medicine practitioners," the DH spokesman deliberated.
The DH has directed Shun Hing to contact its clients for product recall in the meantime. Shun Hing's clients can call its hotline at 2548 0926 for related enquiries.
So far, DH has not received reports of related adverse incidents and will closely monitor the recall.
"On completion of our investigation, the DH will consider referring the case to CMC for possible disciplinary action. Furthermore, DH will seek advice from the Department of Justice regarding possible contravention of Section 119 of the Chinese Medicine Ordinance, Cap. 549, that no person shall sell, import or possess any pCm unless the pCm is registered. The maximum penalty involved is HK$100,000 and two years' imprisonment," the spokesman continued.
The spokesman urged the public who have obtained pCm from the above address to stop using them immediately and surrender the products to the DH at 16/F, Two Landmark East, Kwun Tong, Kowloon.
Ends/Friday, August 24, 2012
Issued at HKT 20:56
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