Public advisory

Unauthorized Kobayashi eye washes and Sante FX eye drops seized from “Kiokii and…” store in Mississauga, ON, and removed from website because they may pose serious health risks

Last updated

Summary

Product
Unauthorized health products labelled to contain prescription drugs
Issue
Health products - Product safety
What to do

Do not use these products. Return them to your local pharmacy for proper disposal. Consult a health care professional if you have used any of these products and have health concerns. Buy only authorized health products. Prescription drugs can only be legally sold to consumers in Canada with a prescription. Buy your prescription drugs from licensed pharmacies only.

Affected products

Photo Product Prescription drug on the label
Kobayashi 9 Vitamins (Black) Kobayashi 9 Vitamins (Black) Labelled in Japanese to contain aminocaproic acid
Kobayashi AL Pollen Allergies (Green) Kobayashi AL Pollen Allergies (Green) Labelled in Japanese to contain aminocaproic acid
Kobayashi Cool (Light Blue) Kobayashi Cool (Light Blue) Labelled in Japanese to contain aminocaproic acid
Kobayashi Non-Coolin (Turquoise/Light Blue) Kobayashi Non-Coolin (Turquoise/Light Blue) Labelled in Japanese to contain aminocaproic acid
Kobayashi Repair (Blue) Kobayashi Repair (Blue) Labelled in Japanese to contain aminocaproic acid
Sante FX Neo Sante FX Neo Labelled to contain aminocaproic acid and neostigmine methylsulfate

Issue

Health Canada is warning consumers about unauthorized Kobayashi eye washes and Sante FX eye drops seized from the store "Kiokii and…" (actual store name) in Mississauga (719 Central Pkwy W, Suite 211), Ontario, and removed from online sale. The products were seized because they are unauthorized and labelled to contain prescription drug ingredients and may pose serious health risks.

Selling unauthorized health products in Canada is illegal. Unauthorized health products have not been approved by Health Canada, which means that they have not been assessed for safety, efficacy and quality and may pose a range of serious health risks. For example, they could contain high-risk ingredients, such as prescription drugs, additives or contaminants that may or may not be listed on the label. These ingredients could interact with other medications and foods. In addition, these products may not actually contain the active ingredients that consumers would expect them to contain to help maintain and improve their health.

Prescription drugs should only be used under the advice and supervision of a health care professional because they are used to treat specific conditions and may cause serious side effects.

What you should do

  • Do not use these products. Return the product to your local pharmacy for proper disposal.
  • Consult a health care professional if you have used any of these products and have health concerns.
  • Buy your prescription drugs only from licensed pharmacies.
  • Buy only authorized health products. Read product labels to verify that health products have been authorized for sale by Health Canada. Authorized health products have an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), Natural Product Number (NPN) or Homeopathic Drug Number (DIN-HM). You can also check whether products have been authorized for sale by searching Health Canada's Drug Product Database and Licensed Natural Health Product Database.
  • Report any health product-related side effects or complaints to Health Canada.

Additional information

Background

Aminocaproic acid is a prescription drug ingredient used to decrease bleeding in various clinical situations. Exposure to aminocaproic acid in the eye may affect the eye itself, and the acid may be absorbed through the tear ducts into the blood. Side effects may include watery eyes, vision changes, headache, dizziness, nausea, muscle weakness and skin rash.

Neostigmine methylsulfate: There are no approved eye drops containing neostigmine methylsulfate on the Canadian market. In the past, drugs similar to neostigmine were used to treat glaucoma. These medications are no longer widely used because of the significant number of potential eye-related side effects, including blurred distance vision, frontal headaches, twitching lids, red eyes, cataracts, allergic reactions, iris cysts, retinal detachment and the potential for causing a specific type of glaucoma attack. In addition, absorption into the nose via the tear duct may cause serious cardiac and respiratory side effects.

Details
Original published date:
Alert / recall type
Public advisory
Category
Health products - Drugs
Companies
Published by
Health Canada
Audience
Identification number
RA-73662
History
Change log
2023-05-16: Removed two Kobayashi products from Affected Products table and image wheel at the top of the page
Media and public enquiries

Media Enquiries:

Health Canada

613-957-2983

media@hc-sc.gc.ca

Public Enquiries:

613-957-2991

1-866-225-0709

info@hc-sc.gc.ca

Get notified

Receive notifications for new and updated recalls and alerts by category.

Subscribe