Foreign Product Alerts: San Xiao Ping Tang Jin Qi Jiao Nang

Starting date:

April 24, 2014

Posting date:

April 24, 2014

Type of communication:

Foreign Product Alert (FPA)

Subcategory:

Drugs, Natural health products

Source of recall:

Health Canada

Source of alert:

Hong Kong Department of Health

Issue:

Undeclared Substance

Audience:

General Public

Identification number:

RA-38821

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Introduction

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

Affected product

• San Xiao Ping Tang Jin Qi Jiao Nang

San Xiao Ping Tang Jin Qi Jiao Nang

Product description

The use this product is promoted for is unknown.

Hazard identified

The Hong Kong Department of Health warned consumers not to use this product after it was found to contain phenformin, pioglitazone and glibenclamide, drug ingredients that were not declared on the product label.

Phenformin was previously used to treat diabetes but is no longer authorized for sale in Canada because of its association with a life-threatening risk of lactic acidosis, an often fatal metabolic disorder in which an abnormal amount of lactic acid accumulates in the blood.

Pioglitazone and glibenclamide (also known as glyburide) are prescription drugs used to treat diabetes and should only be taken under the supervision of a healthcare professional.

Place of origin

Unknown

Side effects

Side effects associated with phenformin, pioglitazone and glibenclamide include low blood sugar, which may cause sweating, pale skin, chills, headache, dizziness and confusion. Additionally, pioglitazone can cause fluid retention and cardiovascular side effects such as heart failure and chest pain.

What you should do

Health Canada advises Canadians to contact the Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate at 1-800-267-9675 if they find the product listed above in the Canadian marketplace.

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

Background

Drugs and natural health products that are authorized for sale in Canada will have 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 April 4, 2014, no adverse reactions suspected to be associated with the use of this product had been reported to Health Canada.

Report a health or safety concern

To report a side effect to a health product to Health Canada:

• 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

Images

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