The Department of Health (DH) today (May 8) advised members of the public not to buy and use two health products that contained phentolamine and sildenafil respectively.
The two products are :
* Hui Er Chun Capsule which contains phentolamine and sold in the form of capsules and
* Mr Vitop which contains sildenafil and sold in the form of oral liquid.
The two products have not been registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board.
A spokesman for DH said, !§The importer has been instructed to immediately recall their products from the market and to surrender them to DH.
Members of the public who have purchased any one of the products are advised to stop using them, dispose of the products or surrender their stock to the Pharmaceutical Service of DH at 3/F, Public Health Laboratory Centre, 382 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon during office hours. DH will issue them a receipt.
The use of phentolamine and sildenafil must be supervised by medical practitioners as they could cause side effects such as serious hypotension among people with heart diseases.
Phentolamine is a western drug ingredient used for treatment of severe hypertension while sildenafil is a western drug ingredient used for erectile dysfunction (impotence).
Products containing western medicine are pharmaceutical products and must be registered under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance before they are allowed to be put on sale.
The spokesman reminded importers and retailers that the possession and sale of unregistered pharmaceutical products was an offence liable to an maximum penalty of $100,000 fine and two years!| imprisonment. Retailers should remove the two products from their shelves.
Members of the public are also advised to report to DH!|s Complaints Hotline 2572 2068 if they have reason to suspect that any health products have been adulterated with western drug ingredients.
Reprinted from HKSAR Government web page :
http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200205/08/0508207.htm