The Department of Health today (January 17) called on people not to buy or use a brand of slimming product named Energy II which was found to have contained sibutramine, a Western drug ingredient that may cause side effects.
The appeal came after the department's investigation into a complaint made by a woman, who suffered from dry mouth, sleeplessness, breathing difficulty and fast pulse rate after consuming the product purchased through an internet auction site. Her symptoms subsided after she stopped taking the capsules.
Product samples obtained by the department were found to have contained sibutramine, an appetite suppressant which can cause increased blood pressure and heart rate. People with heart diseases should not take it.
A spokesman for the department said the slimming product concerned was not registered in Hong Kong and the department had no record of these products having been imported for sale.
As a result of the investigation, a woman was arrested by Police for allegedly selling and possessing Part I poisons under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance. About 1,400 capsules of the product were seized by the department.
The Department of Health had also asked the management of the concerned website to remove the product from the auction list.
The spokesman said that under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, products containing sibutramine must be registered before sale and can only be sold on a doctor's prescription and under supervision by a pharmacist.
Possession or sale of unregistered pharmaceutical product is liable on conviction to a $100,000 fine and two years' imprisonment.
The spokesman advised people who had been using the products to immediately stop taking them. They should seek medical attention if they felt unwell.
"Members of the public are reminded that weight control should be achieved by observing good dietary practice and engaging in appropriate physical activities. They should consult their doctors before using any drug for weight control," he added.
Anyone who is in possession of the product should dispose of them or submit them to the the department's Pharmaceutical Service at the third floor, Public Health Laboratory Centre, 382 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon during office hours.
Reprinted from HKSAR Government web page:
http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200801/17/P200801170230.htm