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A 26-year-old woman was today (June 17) arrested in a joint operation by the Police and the Department of Health (DH) for selling a slimming product, "2007®É©|½G§a", which was found in 2008 to contain sibutramine and its analogues which are Western drug ingredients that may cause serious side effects.
In today's operation, five boxes of the product "2007®É©|½G§a" were purchased from the woman. She was arrested for suspected illegal sale of an unregistered pharmaceutical product containing Part I poison.
Since 2008, no offer for sale of "2007®É©|½G§a" has been detected via DH's surveillance exercise on the Internet. The product found today was offered for sale on the Internet under the name of "ºñ²°²M¨q«F"
A DH spokesman said that sibutramine is a Western medicine used as an appetite suppressant. Its side effects include increased blood pressure and heart rate, psychosis and possibly convulsion. It should not be taken by people with heart problems.
Sibutramine analogues, being chemically similar to sibutramine, are expected to have the same side effects as sibutramine.
Any product containing sibutramine must be registered before it can be sold in Hong Kong. It can be sold only on a doctor's prescription and dispensed under the supervision of a pharmacist.
"Sale of unregistered pharmaceutical products is an offence under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance. The maximum penalty is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment," the spokesman said.
The spokesman exhorted members of the public not to sell products of unknown or doubtful composition.
"People should stop using the products immediately. They should consult a doctor if they feel unwell after taking the products," the spokesman added.
They should destroy and dispose of the products or submit them to the department's Pharmaceutical Service at 3/F, Public Health Laboratory Centre, 382 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon, during office hours.
The spokesman said: "Weight control should be achieved through balanced diet and appropriate exercise. People should consult healthcare professionals before using any medication for weight control."
Ends/Thursday, June 17, 2010
Issued at HKT 20:08
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