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A premises in Mong Kok was raided today (December 4) in a joint operation by the Department of Health (DH) and the Police for suspected illegal sale of Part 1 poison and unregistered pharmaceutical product.
Following a public complaint, it was found that the above premises had been offering for sale a product called Naprogesic, which was labelled as containing a Part 1 poison, naproxen. No Hong Kong pharmaceutical product registration number was found on the product's label.
During today's operation, a woman aged 58 was arrested by the Police for suspected illegal sale of Part 1 poison and unregistered pharmaceutical product.
The DH's investigation is ongoing.
"Products containing naproxen are prescription medicines which should only be used under the advice of a doctor and can only be supplied at pharmacies under the supervision of a registered pharmacist upon a doctor's prescription. Naproxen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug indicated for the relief of pain. Side-effects include gastrointestinal discomfort, nausea and peptic ulcers," a spokesman for the DH explained.
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 sold legally in the market. Illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products and Part 1 poisons are criminal offences. The maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment.
"Members of the public should not use controlled medicines on their own without prior advice from a doctor," the spokesman said.
The DH strongly urges members of the public not to buy or use unregistered pharmaceutical products as their safety, quality and efficacy are not guaranteed. All registered pharmaceutical products should carry a Hong Kong registration number on their package in the format of "HK-XXXXX".
People who have purchased and used the above product should stop using it and consult healthcare professionals for advice if they feel unwell. They may 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/Friday, December 4, 2015
Issued at HKT 17:47
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