PUTRAJAYA: The "Hong Thai Inhaler" herbal product is unregistered with the Drug Control Authority (DCA) and is banned from sale in Malaysia after a recall in Thailand due to contamination with harmful bacteria.
The Health Ministry announced on Thursdayt (Nov 6) that it has taken immediate control measures, including conducting online screenings of the product and blocking links associated with the involved sellers.
"Monitoring and enforcement actions will continue to be carried out against any sellers found offering the product," it said in a statement.
"As a precautionary measure, members of the public are advised to stop using the product if they have purchased it immediately, and to seek medical advice should they experience any adverse effects or suspicious symptoms," it said.
The statement further said the sale and possession of unregistered medicines is an offence under Regulation 7(1)(a) of the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984, and is punishable under Section 12 of the Sale of Drugs Act 1952.
Upon conviction, individuals may be fined up to RM25,000 or imprisoned for up to three years, while companies may face fines of up to RM50,000.
Meanwhile, the ministry also stated that it would continue to monitor advertisements for medicines and health services, including those on e-commerce platforms, to ensure compliance with the Sale of Drugs Act 1952, the Poisons Act 1952 and the Medicines (Advertisement and Sale) Act 1956.
From January to Sept 30, 2025, a total of 25,335 medical advertisements were screened, 1,958 URLs were requested for blocking, and 11,287 URLs were notified to local e-commerce platforms for removal. The total value of seized unregistered products during the same period was RM41.3mil, involving 10,442 items.
In addition to enforcement, the PED has launched the "Reject Unregistered Medicines" (Tobats) campaign to raise public awareness of the risks of using unauthorised health products. More information is available at https://pharmacy.moh.gov.my/tobats.
The public is also advised to verify the registration status of medicines by checking the hologram security label and registration number (MAL) before making a purchase. Verification can be done on the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) website at www.npra.gov.my under the "Product Search" section.
Complaints or information on the sale of unregistered medicines can be submitted via the Public Agency Complaint Management System (SisPAA) at http://moh.spab.gov.my, any nearby Pharmacy Enforcement Branch, or by calling 03-7841 3200.
