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The Department of Health (DH) today (November 10) instructed a local licensed proprietary Chinese medicine (pCm) manufacturer, Merika Medicine Factory Limited, to recall all oral pCm products it manufactured as they were suspected of exceeding the permitted microbial limit.
As announced last Thursday (November 4), the DH detected excessive amounts of microorganisms in a Merika product - "Cousedin Cold & Cough Relief Cap" - and conducted an investigation at their premises. Samples of its other products were taken for analyses during the investigation.
Laboratory results showed that "Dexa Natural Herbal Siu Yim Yuen" (batch number: 727265) also exceeded the microbial limit. As two oral products produced by the manufacturer have been found to exceed the permitted microbial limit, and it is suspected to be caused by a problematic manufacturing procedure, the DH has consequently, as a precautionary measure, instructed the manufacturer to recall all of the 14 oral products it manufactures.
The 14 oral products are:
* Cousedin Cold & Cough Relief Cap (Registration Number: HKP-02168)
* Dexa Natural Herbal Siu Yim Yuen (HKP-14694)
* Ejectin Capsules (HKP-06161)
* "Tin Yuen Tong" Eredo-M Capsules (HKP-06162)
* 6-Mix Cough Capsule (HKP-09263)
* Merika Cough Relief Capsule (HKP-09264)
* 6-Mix Siu Yim Yuen (HKP-14677)
* Merika Siu Yim Yuen (HKP-14678)
* Amclocin Siu Yim Yuen (HKP-14679)
* Honyinine-500 Siu Yim Yuen (HKP-14696)
* "Helbuken" Super Imagin Herbal Capsules (HKP-14703)
* "Helbuken" Apbicin Herbal Capsules (HKP-14704)
* "Helbuken" Imbicil Herbal Capsules (HKP-14705)
* "Helbuken" Super Lgixcil Herbal Capsules (HKP-14706)
Apart from recalling from the market all oral products manufactured by Merika, the DH also instructed the manufacturer to stop all its productions immediately. Investigation continues. The DH will inform related overseas drug regulatory authorities based on the transaction records of the manufacturer.
So far, no report has been received of consumers feeling unwell after having taken the products produced by the manufacturer.
The manufacturer has set up a hotline, 2691 6631, to answer public enquiries about the recall arrangement.
Consumers may also choose to submit the concerned products to DH's Chinese Medicines Section at 2/F, Public Health Laboratory Centre, 382 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon during office hours or to destroy them before disposal.
A spokesman for DH reminded members of the public who have the products in hand to stop using them immediately and seek advice from healthcare professionals if they feel unwell.
Ends/Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Issued at HKT 19:41
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