BOTH PRODUCTS CONTAINED STEROIDS
Both women got the products from Malaysia through their friends. HSA said it has alerted its Malaysian counterpart.
The products were also sold on local e-commerce and social media platforms, including Shopee and Facebook.
HSA said it has worked with the platform administrators to remove the affected listings and that investigations are ongoing.
Despite claiming otherwise, the products were found to contain steroids and other potent medicinal ingredients after undergoing testing.
“Long-term unsupervised use of steroids such as dexamethasone can cause Cushing’s syndrome, increased blood sugar levels which may lead to diabetes, high blood pressure and other serious adverse effects,” said HSA.
It warned consumers who are taking these products to see a doctor as soon as possible.
“Sudden stopping of the product without medical supervision may worsen underlying medical conditions or cause other serious withdrawal conditions such as adrenal insufficiency,” said HSA.
The authority also advised the public to be wary of products promising fast relief of chronic medical conditions, while claiming to be “herbal”, “natural” or “steroid-free”.
ENFORCEMENT ACTION
Sellers and suppliers have been told to stop selling “D’SIHAT HERBA GOUT & SENDI” and “Yanwo Chongcao Yanyin Qinfei Huatan Dan” immediately.
HSA warned that it would not hesitate to take “stern enforcement actions” against those selling and/or supplying products found to be adulterated with potent medicinal ingredients.
Offenders can be fined up to S$2,000 (US$1,511), jailed up to two years, or both.
Members of the public who have information about the sale and supply of these products can contact HSA’s Enforcement Branch at 6866 3485 or through email at hsa_is [at] hsa.gov.sg.