Shanghai FDA says fake Hepatitis B Cheat Drugs May be lethal

FDA says fake drugs may be lethal

By Cai Wenjun and Xu Chi
2011-3-10

THE State Food and Drug -Administration has warned hepatitis B carriers not to buy a "cheating drug" online, which claims it can help them pass hepatitis B checks, but could actually be lethal.

The FDA issued an announcement on its official website on Tuesday saying that the so-called "hepatitis B health check cheating drugs" being sold online are a scam aimed at cheating money out of customers.

The drugs might not help them pass health checks and may even cause severe damages to health if taken without doctors' directions, warned the announcement.

The warning is issued because many hepatitis B carriers who are seeking jobs have been lured by online -vendors saying that their products will let them to pass medicals.

China's ministries of human resources and social security, education and health yesterday issued a joint statement, reiterating the government's ban on tests for hepatitis B by prospective employers.

The health ministry early last year banned checks for hepatitis B on people during ordinary job and school recruitment health checkups However, some companies are still asking hospitals to make the illegal checks on potential employees.

A Shanghai Daily investigation found that the drugs are still being sold online with detailed instructions to help their customers pass the checks at hospitals.

But the trading of prescription drugs via the Internet is illegal, according to the announcement from the FDA.

Officials from the Shanghai FDA said there are only a few professional websites allowed to sell over-the-counter medicines with the government's approval.

"For such hepatitis B controlling medicines, the domestic FDA won't give it green light for sales nationwide, let alone the approval for online sales," said Du Bing from the Shanghai FDA.

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=465817