Archived – Qing Zhi

Starting date:

January 5, 2007

Posting date:

January 5, 2007

Type of communication:

Foreign Product Alert (FPA)

Subcategory:

Natural health products

Source of recall:

Health Canada

Issue:

Product Safety, Undeclared Substance

Audience:

General Public

Identification number:

RA-12000116

These products are not authorized for sale in Canada and have not been found in the Canadian marketplace, but it is possible they may have been brought into the country by travellers or purchased over the Internet.

Source of alert

New Zealand's Ministry of Health Medicines Safety Authority, Medsafe

Product name

One product is labelled as Qing Zhi and one product is unlabelled.

Manufacturer / Place of origin

Unknown / China

Product description

Qing Zhi: pack of 6 capsules packaged in an orange and pink box

1 unlabelled product: blue/white capsules in a small plastic zip-lock bag

Reason for warning

On July 21, 2006, the New Zealand Ministry of Health issued a press release on Qing Zhi and one unlabelled product because these herbal products were adulterated with sibutramine, which is a prescription medication used to suppress appetite. Sibutramine should only be taken under the guidance of a health care professional.

Possible side effects

Use of sibutramine may cause serious side effects, including vision problems and increased heart rate and blood pressure. Sibutramine should not be taken with medications that can affect serotonin levels, such as antidepressants.

What you should do

Canadians who have this product are advised not to use it, and should consult with a health care professional if they have concerns about their health related to the use of this product.

Health Canada advises Canadians to contact the Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate at 1-800-267-96755 if they find the product listed above in the Canadian marketplace.

Background

Drugs and natural health products that are authorized for sale in Canada will have either an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), a Natural Product Number (NPN) or a Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM) on the label. These numbers indicate that the products have been assessed by Health Canada for safety, effectiveness and quality.

As of the date of this posting, no adverse reactions suspected to be associated with the use of this product have been reported in Canada.

Report a health or safety concern

• Call toll-free at 1-866-234-2345.
• Visit Health Canada's Web page on Adverse Reaction Reporting for information on how to report online, by mail or by fax.

Media enquiries

Health Canada
613-957-2983

Public enquiries

613-957-2991
1-866-225-0709