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Two retail shops in Causeway Bay and Kwun Tong respectively were raided today (February 6) in a joint operation by the Department of Health (DH) and the Police for suspected illegal sale of an unregistered pharmaceutical product.
Acting on a public complaint, the DH found that the above two shops, which mainly sold cosmetic products, were offering for sale an eye drops product, namely Latisse, labelled as containing a Part I poison, bimatoprost. No Hong Kong pharmaceutical product registration number was found on the label. Preliminary investigation has so far revealed that the product was sourced outside Hong Kong.
During the operation, a woman aged 22 was arrested by the Police for suspected illegal sale and possession of a Part I poison and an unregistered pharmaceutical product.
Bimatoprost is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of glaucoma or conditions with an inadequate amount of eyelashes. Side-effects include ocular pruritus (eye itching), conjunctival hyperaemia and headache. It should only be used under doctors' advice.
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. 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 DH's investigation is continuing.
A spokesman for the DH strongly urged members of the public not to buy or use unregistered pharmaceutical products from the market as their safety, quality and efficacy may not be guaranteed. All registered pharmaceutical products should carry a Hong Kong registration number on the package in the format of "HK-XXXXX". Members of the public should not self-medicate without advice from health-care professionals.
"Members of the public who have bought the above product without a registration number should stop using it immediately. People who are in doubt or feeling unwell after using it should consult health-care professionals for advice. They may submit it to the DH's Drug Office at Room 1856, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, during office hours for disposal," the spokesperson said.
Ends/Thursday, February 6, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:43
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