Yuen Long pharmacy arrested 34-year-old male employee for selling unregistered new crown oral drug Primovir

A pharmacy in Yuen Long was suspected of selling unregistered oral drugs for the new crown, and the police arrested a 34-year-old man.

The Department of Health today (7th) launched a joint operation with the police on the illegal sale of new crown oral drugs. During the operation, a pharmacy in Yuen Long District was found to be selling a suspected unregistered pharmaceutical product called "Primovir", and a person was arrested The 34-year-old man was suspected of illegally selling unregistered pharmaceutical products and selling Part 1 Schedule 3 poisons without a doctor's prescription.

The Department of Health stated that the investigation is still ongoing and joint operations will continue.

According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138), all pharmaceutical products must be registered with the Hong Kong Pharmacy and Poisons Board (the Board) before they can be sold in the market.

Illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products or sale of Part 1 Schedule 3 poisons without a medical prescription are criminal offences. The maximum penalty for each offense is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment.

According to the Department of Health, there are currently only two new crown oral drugs (Paxlovid and Molnupiravir) supplied by Pfizer and Merck Pharmaceuticals in the United States respectively. According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations (Chapter 138A ) is registered as a Hong Kong pharmaceutical product and approved by the Authority for registration for the treatment of COVID-19.

At present, the two new crown oral drugs can only be supplied to public and private medical institutions and doctors, and patients can only be prescribed the relevant drugs by registered doctors as needed. Retail pharmacies cannot purchase the relevant oral drugs from suppliers and sell them to the public.

A DH spokesman strongly urged members of the public not to buy or consume products with unknown ingredients or sources.

All registered pharmaceutical products must have a Hong Kong registration number on the packaging in the format "HK-XXXXX".

The safety, quality and efficacy of unregistered pharmaceutical products are not guaranteed.

Citizens who have purchased related products should stop using them immediately. If in doubt or feel unwell after use, they should seek medical advice.

Members of the public can submit the relevant products to the Drug Office of the Department of Health at Room 1801, Wu Chung Building, 213 Queen's Road East, Wanchai, during office hours for disposal.