The Department of Health (DH) today (March 18) alerted members of the public not to buy and definitely not to consume oral products claimed to be iodide tablets on the market.
A spokesman for DH explained that yesterday (March 17), the Department's pharmacovigilance scheme spotted possible market activities related to claimed "iodide tablets" for use during nuclear incidents.
As iodide tablets are pharmaceutical products which must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) and so far, there has been no other record of any such registration apart from one product registered by DH itself, a bliss operation was mounted by DH immediately.
During the two-day operation, a total of 108 premises were inspected, comprising 74 pharmacies and 34 medicine companies. In one, Polysurplus Pharmaceutical Limited in Sheung Wan, 30 bottles of a suspicious product were seized.
Investigation revealed that the above retailer had actually removed the label of an iodine-containing throat lozenge product called Iodised Throat Tab, with registration number HK-04892, and attached a new label with directions for use as 130 mg iodide tablets during radiation exposure for sale. Laboratory analysis on the seized products will be conducted.
Iodised Throat Tab is a registered pharmaceutical product containing 1.5 mg of iodine per tablet and is used for soothing throat irritation. It is never meant for use as a source of iodide for the protection of the thyroid during radiation emergencies.
In any case, the spokesman cautioned that iodide tablets are not radiation antidotes. They do not protect against external irradiation or any other radioactive substances besides radioactive iodine.
He continued to elaborate that in the setting of a nuclear power plant accident, iodide tablets are given to people likely to be exposed, especially plant workers and rescuers, to saturate their thyroid glands so as to prevent the uptake of radioactive iodine released from the accident.
The drug must be given before or shortly after an exposure for the prevention of thyroid cancer in the long term. However, it is a universal consensus amongst the World Health Organization and all leading public health authorities that only after professional analysis of the emergency situation will a competent public health authority be in a position to recommend the use of iodide tablets.
"Iodide tablets must never be taken casually for they are not without medical complications, especially for some individuals such as persons with poorly functioning kidney. They should be started only and only when there is a clear public health recommendation," the spokesman re-emphasised.
"Coming back to the above case, possession or sale of unregistered pharmaceutical product is an offence under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance. The maximum penalty is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment," the spokesman quoted.
Members of the public who have purchased the product described above should stop using it immediately. They should consult a healthcare provider if they feel unwell or whenever in doubt.
"The tablets should also be submitted to the Department's Pharmaceutical Service at 3/F, Public Health Laboratory Centre, 382 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon, during office hours for handling," the spokesman reminded those public who have the product in hand.
"For readings on radiation health, the public can patronise DH's website at http://www.dh.gov.hk," the spokesman added.
(Reprinted from HKSAR Government web page
http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201103/18/P201103180332.htm )