The Department of Health (DH) today (January 6) appealed to members of the public not to buy or consume unlabelled slimming products that may contain controlled medicine ingredients.
 
     Upon a public complaint, a local Internet seller was found offering for sale various unlabelled slimming products claimed to be obtained from overseas. Upon analysis, some of these products were found to contain various Part 1 poisons including hydrochlorothiazide, fluoxetine and omeprazole.
 
     During a joint operation with the Police conducted last night (January 5), a 19-year-old woman was arrested by the Police for illegal sale of Part 1 poisons and unregistered pharmaceutical products.
 
     The investigation is continuing.
 
     Hydrochlorothiazide is used for the treatment of hypertension and its side effects include low blood pressure and electrolytes imbalance. Fluoxetine is used for treatment of mood disorder and may cause hallucination and insomnia. Omeprazole is used for managing gastric and duodenal diseases and may cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Medicines containing these ingredients should only be supplied by pharmacies under the supervision of a registered pharmacist.
 
     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 legally sold in the market. Illegal sale and possession of Part 1 poisons and unregistered pharmaceutical products 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 consume products of doubtful composition or from unknown sources. All registered pharmaceutical products should carry a Hong Kong registration number on the package in the format of HK-XXXXX. Safety, efficacy and quality of unregistered pharmaceutical products are not guaranteed.
 
     "Weight control should be achieved through a balanced diet and appropriate exercise. The public should consult healthcare professionals before using any medication for weight control," the spokesman advised.
 
     People who have purchased these products should stop taking them immediately and consult healthcare professionals if they are in doubt or feeling unwell. They can submit the products 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.

Ends/Friday, January 6, 2017
Issued at HKT 14:40

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