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A premises in Mong Kok was raided today (December 30) in a joint operation by the Department of Health (DH) and the Police for suspected illegal sale of an unregistered pharmaceutical product, YI BAO, which is suspected to contain undeclared Part 1 poisons.
Acting on intelligence, a sample of the above product had been purchased previously from the premises for analysis. The test results from the Government Laboratory revealed that the sample contained Part 1 poisons, namely metformin, pioglitazone and glibenclamide. Products containing these drug ingredients are prescription medicines which should only be used under the advice of a medical doctor and can only be supplied at pharmacies under the supervision of a registered pharmacist upon a doctor's prescription.
During the operation today, a woman aged 62 was arrested by the Police for suspected illegal possession of Part 1 poisons and an unregistered pharmaceutical product.
The DH's investigation is ongoing.
Metformin, pioglitazone and glibenclamide are used for the management of diabetes. Side effects of metformin include anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and lactic acidosis; pioglitazone may cause headache, dizziness and lower limb oedema; and side effects of glibenclamide include nausea and gastrointestinal upset.
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. The illegal sale or possession of Part 1 poisons and unregistered pharmaceutical products are criminal offences. The maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment.
Members of the public who have purchased the above product should stop consuming it immediately. They should consult healthcare professionals for advice if in doubt or they feel unwell after consuming the product.
A spokesman for the DH strongly urged members of the public not to buy products of unknown or doubtful composition, or to consume products from unknown sources. 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/Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Issued at HKT 18:54
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