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The Department of Health today (July 14) called on members of the public not to buy or use a brand of slimming product called "Conting Qianweisu Slimming Herbs Capsule" (±d´@ÅÖºû¯À), which contained a Western drug ingredient that may cause side effects.
A spokesman for the department said people who have been using the product are advised to stop taking it immediately. They should seek medical attention if they feel unwell.
The department purchased a sample of the product for investigation after receiving a public enquiry on the safety of the product. Upon laboratory analysis, the product was found to contain sibutramine (¦è¥¬¦±©ú).
According to the department's records, the product was not registered under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance in Hong Kong. It has no record of the product having been imported into Hong Kong for sale.
Sibutramine is used as an appetite suppressant. It can cause increased blood pressure and heart rate. People with heart disease should not take it.
Under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, products containing sibutramine must be registered before sale and can only be sold on a doctor's prescription and under supervision by a pharmacist.
Anyone who is in possession of the product should dispose of it or submit it to the Department of Health's Pharmaceutical Service, 3/F, Public Health Laboratory Centre, 382 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon during office hours.
In early 2005, the department was notified about a 47-year-old woman who was hospitalised after taking a slimming product of the same name. The patient recovered and was later discharged from hospital. Investigations at that time revealed that the product was not found on sale in Hong Kong and no sample of the product could be obtained for testing by the Government Laboratory. Cross checking with records of the Hospital Authority showed that these two slimming products were likely to be the same.
The spokesman said members of the public should control their weight by a balanced diet and adequate physical exercise. Before taking drugs for weight reduction, they should first consult their family doctors.
Ends/Friday, July 14, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:04
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