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The Department of Health (DH) today (April 1) appealed to members of the public not to buy or use unregistered pharmaceutical products as they may contain Western drug ingredients that might be dangerous to health.
During the DH's market surveillance, samples of an oral product (without English name, see photo) were purchased from a hawker store in Yau Ma Tei for analysis. Results from the Government Laboratory confirmed that the samples contained sildenafil, a Part I poison.
The hawker store was raided last night (March 31) by the DH and the Police. Apart from the oral product, two other unregistered products, namely Lido spray and Procomil spray, both labelled as containing lignocaine (another Part I poison), were also found during the operation. Although the spray products were labelled with "HK-24862" and "HK-22498" respectively, these numbers are not valid pharmaceutical product registration numbers. The oral product did not bear any registration number on the label. A 52-year-old woman was arrested for illegal sale and possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products and Part I poisons.
Investigation is continuing.
Products containing sildenafil are prescription drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction and should only be supplied at pharmacies under the supervision of a registered pharmacist upon a doctor's prescription. Side effects of sildenafil include low blood pressure, headache, vomiting, dizziness and transient vision disturbances. It may interact with some drugs (such as nitroglycerin for the treatment of angina) and cause a decrease in blood pressure to dangerous levels. Improper use of sildenafil may pose serious health risks, especially for patients with heart problems.
Lignocaine is a local anaesthetic for the relief of pain or for desensitisation of the skin before minor operations. It may cause side effects such as hypersensitive reactions.
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. Illegal sale and possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products or Part I poisons are criminal offences. The maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment.
A DH spokesman strongly urged members of the public not to buy or use products of doubtful composition or from unknown sources, as these products have not been evaluated by the Board and their safety, quality and efficacy could not be guaranteed. All registered pharmaceutical products should carry a Hong Kong registration number on the package in the format of "HK-XXXXX". The validity of the registration number can also be checked from the website of the DH's Drug Office at www.drugoffice.gov.hk .
Members of the public who have purchased the above products should stop using them immediately. They should consult health-care professionals for advice if in doubt or feeling unwell after using them. They may submit the products to the Drug Office at Room 1856, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, during office hours for disposal.
Ends/Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:23
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