Consumers in Hong Kong have been warned not to take a slimming product after it was discovered to contain two medications only liscensed to be taken with a prescription. Health officials obtained a box of 2 Day Diet during an internet auction and then sent it to a laboratory to be tested.
The laboratory technicians said they proved that the capsules contained sibutramine, the active ingredient in the diet pills Reductil. They also found phenolphthalein, which was once prescribed to treat constipation. It has since been banned however after it was linked to cases of cancer.
The crackdown on the product came after a joint operation between the Department of Health and the police. They warned that sibutamine as well as only being available with a doctor’s prescription should be sold with a pharmacist’s supervision. When used by patients with contra-indications for the medication it can increase blood pressure and heart rate and cause serious health problems for people with heart conditions.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said that under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, selling unregistered pharmaceutical products was an offence with a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment and a fine of HK$100,000.
They added that the public who had brought the product should stop using it immediately and advised that anyone taking medication for weight loss should first consult their doctor.