KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 (Bernama) -- The National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA), Ministry of Health Malaysia(MOH) would like to urge the public to refrain from buying and using the following cosmetic products which had been found to contain scheduled poison as below:

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Notification of these cosmetic products have been cancelled by the Senior Director of Pharmaceutical Services, MOH following the detection of scheduled poison.

DESCRIPTION ABOUT SCHEDULED POISON

Products containing chloramphenicol, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, griseofulvin, metronidazole, ketoconazole, chlorpheniramine, hydroquinone and tretinoin are classified as drug that requires registration with the Drug Control Authority (DCA) and can only be used under the advice of healthcare professionals.

The unsupervised usage of antibiotics (metronidazole, chloramphenicol, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim), antifungal (ketoconazole, griseofulvin) and antihistamine (chlorpheniramine) can cause harmful effects to health.

The unsupervised usage of hydroquinone can cause skin redness, discomfort, skin discolouration, hypersensitivity, inhibits the pigmentation process (depigmentation) which reduces the skin’s ability to be protected from harmful UV rays and increasing the risk of skin cancer.

The unsupervised usage of tretinoin can cause redness to the skin, discomfort, stinging, peeling and sensitivity to sunlight.

Mercury is prohibited in cosmetic products due to its hazardous effects on human health. It is readily absorbed through the skin on topical application and tends to accumulate in the body. Exposure to mercury can cause skin rashes, memory loss and muscle weakness while high exposures may result in damage to the brain and kidneys. It is also extremely toxic to unborn children.

WARNING TO VENDORS AND DISTRIBUTORS OF THESE COSMETIC PRODUCTS

All sellers and distributors are warned to stop sales and distribution of these products immediately. All sellers are reminded that selling or distributing these cosmetic products is an offence under the Control Of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984.

Any individual who commits an offence under these Regulations can be fined up to a maximum of RM25,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or both, and for a second or subsequent offence, shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or both. A company found guilty can be fined up to RM50,000 for the first offence and fined up to a maximum of RM100,000 for subsequent offences.

ADVISORY TO PUBLIC

Consumers are advised to stop using these products and seek further advice from healthcare professionals, if experiencing any unpleasant effects or adverse events.

Enquiries on cosmetic products can be emailed to kosmetik@npra.gov.my. Consumers and public may check the notification status of a cosmetic product via NPRA’s official website at http://www.npra.gov.my/

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DATUK DR. NOOR HISHAM BIN ABDULLAH
Director General Of Health Malaysia

Source: Ministry of Health

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: BAHARUDIN BIN MOHAMAD
Pegawai Perhubungan Awam
Unit Komunikasi Korporat
Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia
Tel : 03-88834536 dan 017-2635008

--BERNAMA