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The Department of Health (DH) today (April 13) appealed to members of the public not to buy or consume unlabelled slimming products from the Internet as they may contain Western medicines or banned drug ingredients that are dangerous to health.
Through the DH's surveillance programme, samples of unlabelled slimming products were obtained from two Internet auction sites. According to the auction sites, the slimming products were allegedly obtained from a hospital in Thailand. Analysis results today showed that various Western medicines, including a banned drug ingredient sibutramine, were found in nine unlabelled products obtained from the two Internet auction sites (five products from one auction site and four products from another site). Other Western medicines found include hydrochlorothiazide, frusemide, fluoxetine, chlorpheniramine and bisacodyl.
The two implicated Internet auction sites are:
hk.f1.page.auctions.yahoo.com/hk/auction/b20661078?u=man88112005
hk.user.auctions.yahoo.com/hk/show/rating?userID=chiling327&u=%3Achiling327
The DH investigation continues.
"Sibutramine was used as an appetite suppressant. In November 2010, products containing sibutramine were banned because of increased cardiovascular risk and they are no longer allowed for sale in Hong Kong," a DH spokesman said.
"Hydrochlorothiazide and furosemide are both used as diuretics and also for the treatment of hypertension, while fluoxetine is used for depression. Both hydrochlorothaizide and furosemide may cause hypotension and electrolyte imbalance, whereas fluoxetine may cause postural hypotension and alopecia. They must be sold with prescriptions at pharmacies under the supervision of pharmacists. Chlorpheniramine is used for allergies but may cause drowsiness, while bisacodyl is a laxative that may cause abdominal pain. Both these two drugs are over-the-counter medicines," the spokesman said.
The spokesman called on members of the public not to sell or use products of unknown composition from the market or the Internet. Weight control should be achieved through good diet and appropriate exercise. Members of the public should consult healthcare professionals before using any medication for weight control. They should consult healthcare professionals for advice if they feel unwell after taking the products concerned.
"People should stop using these products immediately. They should submit them to the DH's Drug Office at 3/F, Public Health Laboratory Centre, 382 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon, during office hours for disposal," the spokesman urged.
Ends/Friday, April 13, 2012
Issued at HKT 19:37
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