| Azlan Othman |
MINISTER of Health Dato Paduka Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Jaafar urged the public not to be easily enticed by the cosmetic and health products promoted on social media or sold at cube stores in the country, as some of these products are detrimental to health.
Customers should be aware and cooperate with the authorities to curb the sale of these products, Dato Paduka Dr Haji Mohd Isham said on the sidelines of a visit to several cube stores at The Mall in Gadong yesterday.
“The visit is to ensure cosmetic and health supplements sold in the country are safe. Of late, many banned products containing pharmaceutical chemicals are sold at cube stores. The enforcement officers at the Department of Pharmaceutical Services have conducted inspections to ensure banned cosmetics and health supplements are not sold in the market,” he said.
“Banned products are confiscated, while unregistered products must be notified to the Ministry of Health (MoH) for analysis before being allowed to go on sale,” the minister continued.
Dato Paduka Dr Haji Mohd Isham added that cubicle owners must ensure they do not sell prohibited products.
“We want to help the local cubicle owners and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country, but they must be responsible and ensure that items sold are safe. Adulterated products have been announced in the media, where the dangers to health have also been highlighted. Customers who are still unaware of the banned products can visit the MoH website to get a list of these adulterated products,” he said.
The minister said the public can contact the MoH (through Darussalam line 123) to have authorities inspect the premises.
Acting Permanent Secretary at the MoH Dr Haji Zulaidi bin Haji Abdul Latif, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Policy and Management) at the MoH Maswadi bin Haji Mohsin, as well as senior officers and enforcement officers from the ministry’s Pharmacy Enforcement, Quality Control and Food Safety Division were also present during the visits.
From the impromptu inspection, health enforcement officers found two business premises showcasing and selling banned, adulterated and controlled products under the Poisons Act 1956 and Medicine Order 2007, consisting a haul of 43 traditional products and health supplements, 22 cosmetic products, and four medicines.
Two health and cosmetic products were confiscated for further analysis at the MoH labs to test for active pharmaceutical and contraband substances not listed on their labels.
Meanwhile, checks done by health enforcement officers from the Quality Control and Food Security Division at a supermarket found that the establishment had not violated the Public Health Act (Food) (Chapter 182) and the Public Health (Food) Regulations (P1, Chapter 182).
The Pharmacy Enforcement Division of the Pharmaceutical Services Department of the MoH is responsible for the monitoring, inspection and control of business premises that sell controlled products, ie products containing scheduled poisons – such as industrial chemicals, agrochemicals and the likes – and medicines, traditional medicines, health supplements and cosmetic products to ensure products marketed are in compliance with regulations and laws under the Poisons Act 1956, Medicines Order 2007 and Medicines (Cosmetic Products) 2007.
The MoH will continue to monitor health products sold in the country.
The ministry reminded healthcare businessmen that it constitutes an offence under the Poisons Act 1956 to sell products containing controlled substances under the Act, which could incur a $8,000 fine or six months’ jail if found guilty.
Meanwhile, negligent acts that endanger or may endanger the lives of others, will result in a fine of $16,000 and 12 months’ imprisonment, if found guilty.
The public is reminded that it is an offence under the Medicines (Cosmetic Products) Order 2007 to import and market local cosmetics products without the Cosmetic Product Notification Letter issued by MoH authorities. If found guilty, the individual will be liable to a fine not exceeding $5,000 and imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or both.
The public is urged to inform the ministry should they come across health products prohibited for sale and marketing in the country. For more information, visit www.moh.gov.bn, its Facebook/Instagram accounts at MOHBrunei, or call the Darussalam line 123.