In brief
In December 2022, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) detected potent ingredients in products marketed for young children and alerted the public against purchasing them. The HSA also published information on a retail-level recall in respect of an oral solution.
Key takeaways
- Sellers and suppliers should note that health products must be in line with applicable healthcare regulations. The HSA will not hesitate to publish information on adverse effects of health products or on retail-level recalls.
- Anyone who sells or supplies adulterated health products may be imprisoned for up to three years and/or fined up to SGD 100,000 upon conviction. Anyone who sells or supplies unwholesome health products may be imprisoned for up to two years and/or fined up to SGD 50,000 upon conviction.
In depth
Following serious medical conditions experienced by a four-year-old child after use of a rash cream, the HSA conducted an analysis of the product. The analysis revealed that the rash cream was falsely labelled and contained four potent medicinal ingredients including two steroids. The rash cream, which was sold by a local peddler at a makeshift stall, was also marketed on local e-commerce platforms. The HSA has since worked with various e-commerce platforms to remove the product listings.
Separately, the HSA also published information on a retail-level product recall in respect of a prescription-only medicine. The product recall was issued due to inconsistency of microbial limit findings reported by the manufacturer. Hospitals have been instructed to stop supplying the affected batches of the prescription-only medicine and to return the remaining stocks to the supplier.
