200,000 illegal weight loss capsules containing Western medicine enter the market

In theory, the pharmacy is a community health station that can provide citizens with health information, just like a close friend. Unexpectedly, a well-known domestic drugstore chain was caught by Changhua police for suspected trafficking in weight loss health food capsules containing western medicine ingredients such as BEAUTEEplus, Vitality King, and AiXian imported from Canada, with at least 200,000 capsules entering the market.

The government reminds that unapproved weight loss health food capsules may contain Western medicine ingredients, which can easily harm the body if ingested by mistake.

Last year, a consumer felt unwell after taking one of the capsules mentioned above, so he reported it to the Changhua County Health Bureau. The Health Bureau sent it for testing and confirmed that it contained Western medicine ingredients, was not a health food, and had not been approved for import by the Department of Health. It was determined to be a counterfeit banned drug and was transferred to the Changhua District Prosecutor's Office for investigation.

The director of the Changhua County Health Bureau said that some of the seized weight-loss pills were labeled to be taken three times a day, and improper consumption could cause cardiovascular disease. In fact, 50% of the weight-loss, aphrodisiac, and pain-relief drugs sampled by health authorities were illegal and substandard. If the public has any concerns, they can file a report.

The Food Administration reminds the public to follow the "5 Don'ts" principle: don't eat, don't listen, don't buy, don't believe, and don't use medicines of unknown origin. Only use medicines with the diagnosis and permission of a pharmacist or physician. In order to strictly control the situation, the government not only increased the penalties but also reminded advertising spokespersons to be careful about the products they endorse to avoid being sued.