The Department of Health (DH) today (April 25) urged the public not to buy or use a product (no English name, see photo) as it was found to contain an undeclared Part 1 poison, diclofenac.
Upon notification by the Hospital Authority (HA) of a case affecting a male patient aged 63 who consumed the above product, the DH commenced investigations immediately.
The patient was admitted to North District Hospital with confusion and acute renal injury. He described a history of consuming the above product, which was purchased locally. Preliminary laboratory test results by the HA revealed that the product might contain an undeclared Part 1 poison.
Subsequent to the DH's follow-up investigations, a retail premises in Sheung Shui was raided on April 23 in an operation during which 49 bags of the above product were seized and sent to the Government Laboratory for analysis. Test results confirmed that the product contains diclofenac.
Investigations are continuing.
"Oral products containing diclofenac are prescription medicines for the relief of pain and can only be supplied upon prescription at pharmacies under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. Side-effects of diclofenac include gastrointestinal discomfort, nausea and peptic ulcers," a spokesman for the DH said.
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 sold legally in the market. 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 using it immediately. They should consult healthcare professionals for advice if feeling unwell or in doubt after use. They may submit the product to the DH's Drug Office at Room 1856, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, during office hours for disposal.
The spokesman strongly urged members of the public not to buy products of unknown or doubtful composition, or to consume products from unknown sources. All registered pharmaceutical products should carry a Hong Kong registration number on the label in the format of "HK-XXXXX". The safety, quality and efficacy of unregistered pharmaceutical products are not guaranteed.
Reprinted from HKSAR Government: http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201604/25/P201604250432.htm