OTTAWA, Dec. 23, 2015 /CNW/ - Health Canada is informing Canadians that five unauthorized drugs that may pose serious risks were seized from retailers in B.C. and Ontario. The products were seized because they were labelled to contain prescription drugs, narcotic or found to contain a prescription drug that was not listed on the label. (See table below)
Drugs that contain prescription drug ingredients should only be taken under the supervision of a health professional because they are used to treat specific diseases, and may cause serious side effects.
Unauthorized drugs have not been approved by Health Canada which means that they have not been assessed for their safety, effectiveness and quality. As a result, they may contain ingredients not listed on the label, other additives and/or contaminated ingredients.
In addition, unauthorized drugs may lack the active ingredients Canadians would expect to help maintain and improve health or contain other ingredients that may interact with other medications and foods. For all of these reasons, these products could cause serious health effects.
What consumers should do:
- Consult your health care provider about which health products are best for you and your family.
- Read the label of drugs and natural health products as authorized products will contain either: an eight-digit DIN, a DIN-HM or a NPN on the label.
- Authorized health products can be found by searching the Drug Product Database, Medical Devices Active Licence Listing (MDALL) and the Licensed Natural Health Product Database.
- Report any adverse events to Health Canada.
- Report complaints about health products to Health Canada by calling toll-free to 1-800-267-9675, or complete an online complaint form.
What retailers should know:
- Selling unauthorized drugs in Canada is illegal.
- When unauthorized drugs that may pose serious risks to health are identified on the Canadian market, Health Canada takes appropriate action to prevent further distribution of the products and informs Canadians.
The healthycanadians.gc.ca website routinely informs consumers about health product recalls and advisories.
Stay connected with Health Canada and receive the latest advisories and product recalls using social media tools.
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SOURCE Health Canada
PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2015/12/23/20151223_C5185_PDF_EN_589246.pdf
Media Inquiries: Health Canada, (613) 957-2983; Public Inquiries: (613) 957-2991, 1-866 225-0709
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