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The Department of Health (DH) today (July 10) instructed a licensed drug manufacturer, Vickmans Laboratories Ltd, to recall all batches of Triloxane-V Suspension (registration number: HK-60248) from the market due to a quality issue.
Under the DH's market surveillance, samples of two batches of Triloxane-V Suspension were taken for analysis. Upon the Government Laboratory's testing, the content of one of the active ingredients, simethicone, for both samples was found to be lower than the labelled claim. The root causes of the issue are still under investigation. The quality defect may affect the efficacy of the product. As a precautionary measure, the DH instructed Vickmans to recall all batches of the product.
Preliminary information revealed that Vickmans had manufactured 25 batches of the above product since mid-2011. The product has been supplied mainly to private hospitals, private doctors and pharmacies in Hong Kong.
The DH's investigation is continuing.
Triloxane-V Suspension is an over-the-counter pharmaceutical product used for the relief of heartburn and indigestion.
So far, the DH has not received any adverse reports in connection with the product. Vickmans has set up a hotline on 2726 0302 to answer enquiries from the public.
The DH will closely monitor the recall.
"According to the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap 132), selling a drug not of the nature, substance or quality demanded by the purchaser is an offence. The maximum penalty is $10,000 and three months' imprisonment. The DH will seek advice from the Department of Justice upon completion of the investigation," a DH spokesman said.
"Meanwhile, members of the public who are taking the above product should consult their health-care providers if in doubt or when symptoms persist," the spokesman advised.
Ends/Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Issued at HKT 18:29
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