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A woman aged 29 was arrested in a joint operation by the Department of Health (DH) and the Police today (September 17) for suspected illegal sale of an unregistered pharmaceutical product.
Acting upon a public complaint, it was found that an oral product labelled in Japanese as containing tranexamic acid was being offered for sale via the Internet. No Hong Kong pharmaceutical registration number was found on the product label.
The DH's investigation is ongoing.
Products containing tranexamic acid are prescription drugs which should only be used under the direction of a medical practitioner and can only be sold at a pharmacy by a registered pharmacist or under his supervision upon a doctor's prescription. Tranexamic acid is used in the treatment and prophylaxis of haemorrhage and can cause gastrointestinal disturbances. Inappropriate use may cause cerebral thrombosis.
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 prescription medicines and unregistered pharmaceutical products are criminal offences. The maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment.
The DH strongly urges members of the public not to buy or use unregistered pharmaceutical products. All registered pharmaceutical products should carry a Hong Kong registration number on the package in the format of "HK-XXXXX". Use of unregistered pharmaceutical products may pose health threats to people as their safety, efficacy and quality are not guaranteed.
People who have purchased the above product should stop using it and consult healthcare professionals if they are in doubt or feeling unwell after use. They can submit the product 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/Thursday, September 17, 2015
Issued at HKT 18:48
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