Press Release

Caution against product containing undeclared western medicine

8 Nov 2010

The Department of Health (DH) today (November 8) called on members of the public not to buy or use a product labelled as "An Chuang San Ri Qing (Xian Tao Lu)" as it was found to contain an undeclared western medicine, metronidazole, a drug used for treatment of anaerobic and protozoal infections.

The appeal was made following DH's market surveillance under its established vigilance system. The surveillance system aims to scan for possibly adulterated consumer products with health claims. In this particular case, the product "An Chuang San Ri Qing (Xian Tao Lu)" was found to contain metronidazole today.

According to Lee Sze Trading Co., a licensed proprietary Chinese medicine wholesaler, the product was imported from the Mainland for sale in Hong Kong.

The wholesaler was instructed to immediately recall the product. The wholesaler has set up a hotline (2542 3381) to answer public enquiries.
Investigation by DH continues.

Under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, products containing metronidazole must be registered before sale and can only be sold under supervision of a pharmacist.

Meanwhile, sale of unregistered pharmaceutical product is an offence liable to the maximum penalty of a $100,000 fine and two years' imprisonment.

Members of the public who have bought the product are advised not to take it. They are urged to seek advice from their healthcare professionals if feeling unwell after using the product.

They may destroy and dispose of the product or submit it to the department's Pharmaceutical Service at 3/F, Public Health Laboratory Centre, 382 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon, during office hours.