The Department of Health (DH) today (March 1) instructed a licensed drug manufacturer, Meyer Pharmaceuticals Limited, to recall one batch (batch number: 021203) of Honey Child Cough Syrup (registration number: HK-58852) from shelves because the label is printed with a wrong expiry date.
During the DH's routine inspection of Meyer, it was found that the label of one batch of Honey Child Cough Syrup manufactured by Meyer was wrongly printed with an expiry date of February 2015. The correct expiry date of the product should be February 2014. As a result, this batch of the product indicates a three-year shelf life while the registered shelf life of the product is actually two years. According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations (Cap 138A), such an error renders the product an unregistered pharmaceutical product.
Only one batch of the product was found to have the wrong expiry date. The DH's investigation is continuing.
Honey Child Cough Syrup is an over-the-counter medicine containing chlorpheniramine, noscapine and ammonium chloride indicated for the relief of cough.
So far, the DH has not received any adverse reactions related to the product.
According to the available information, about 300 bottles of the affected batch of Honey Child Cough Syrup had been supplied to local pharmacies and medicine stores since August 2012.
Meyer has set up a hotline on 2601 2670 to answer public enquiries. The DH will closely monitor the recall.
"Under the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations, illegal sale of unregistered pharmaceutical products is a criminal offence. The maximum penalty is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment," a DH spokesman said.
"Pharmacies and medicine stores must stop supplying the said product to clients. Members of the public who are in doubt or feeling unwell after using the product should consult health-care professionals for advice," the spokesman stressed.
During the DH's routine inspection of Meyer, it was found that the label of one batch of Honey Child Cough Syrup manufactured by Meyer was wrongly printed with an expiry date of February 2015. The correct expiry date of the product should be February 2014. As a result, this batch of the product indicates a three-year shelf life while the registered shelf life of the product is actually two years. According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations (Cap 138A), such an error renders the product an unregistered pharmaceutical product.
Only one batch of the product was found to have the wrong expiry date. The DH's investigation is continuing.
Honey Child Cough Syrup is an over-the-counter medicine containing chlorpheniramine, noscapine and ammonium chloride indicated for the relief of cough.
So far, the DH has not received any adverse reactions related to the product.
According to the available information, about 300 bottles of the affected batch of Honey Child Cough Syrup had been supplied to local pharmacies and medicine stores since August 2012.
Meyer has set up a hotline on 2601 2670 to answer public enquiries. The DH will closely monitor the recall.
"Under the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations, illegal sale of unregistered pharmaceutical products is a criminal offence. The maximum penalty is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment," a DH spokesman said.
"Pharmacies and medicine stores must stop supplying the said product to clients. Members of the public who are in doubt or feeling unwell after using the product should consult health-care professionals for advice," the spokesman stressed.
Reprinted from HKSAR Government:
http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201303/01/P201303010530.htm