Hong Kong authorities have arrested a 30-year-old woman on suspicion of illegally selling poisons and unregistered pharmaceutical products, after an undercover operation found her offering weight-loss injections online.
The Department of Health said on Wednesday that it acted on a tip-off and obtained the anti-obesity medicine through a transaction on an instant messaging app.
The product bore a Japanese label and indicated that it contained tirzepatide.
According to a photo released by the department, the seized item was a Mounjaro injection pen manufactured by US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, but labelled in Japanese.
Tirzepatide is used for treating obesity and is classified as a Part 1 poison under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance.
Medicines containing the substance must only be used under a doctor’s supervision and dispensed by a registered pharmacist upon prescription.
A Department of Health spokesman said the product was suspected to be an unregistered pharmaceutical item in Hong Kong, adding that authorities would continue to investigate the case.
The department said it carried out an enforcement operation with police on Wednesday, arresting a 30-year-old woman in Mong Kok.
The enforcement action followed a South China Morning Post investigation in January that revealed online retailers and a local pharmacy were offering slimming injections without prescriptions.
The department urged the public not to purchase or use products of uncertain composition or from unknown sources.
“Purchasing controlled medicines, including slimming drugs, online poses health risks. Besides the lack of a doctor’s assessment of an individual’s health condition, it is difficult to ascertain the legitimate source of the drugs,” it said.
“It is also impossible to know whether the drugs were properly stored during transport especially for drugs requiring cold-chain storage. This leaves their safety, quality and efficacy unguaranteed.”
Under the ordinance, all pharmaceutical products must be registered before being legally sold in the market.
The department said selling medicines controlled under the ordinance illegally, regardless of the sales channel, carries criminal liability.
The maximum penalty for illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products or Part 1 poisons is a fine of HK$100,000 (US$13,000) and up to two years’ imprisonment. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
