Press Release

Recall of Diurex tablets

18 Jan 2012

The Department of Health (DH) today (January 18) instructs a licensed drug manufacturer, Vickmans Laboratories Ltd (Vickmans), to recall from shelf a batch (lot number: 110738) of Diurex tablets (registration number: HK-51628) in view of a quality defect report.

"DH comes to learn of the problem as it investigates into a public complaint about the detection of a plastic fragment embedded in a Diurex tablet," a DH spokesman reveals. "So far, this appears to be an isolated event. There is no indication that other batches are affected and no report of related adverse incident has been received," continues the spokesman.

Investigation to date notes that the batch of Dirurex tablets was manufactured in Hong Kong last June. A total of 783 boxes of 500 tablets were supplied to various Hospital Authority hospitals, private doctors and pharmacies.

Diurex tablets, containing frusemide, is a diuretic used for the management of hypertension. The drug is a prescription item and can only be sold under the supervision of a pharmacist on presentation of a doctor's prescription at a dispensary.

Vickmans has set up a phone hotline at 2726 0302 to answer public's enquiry.

"Here, contravention of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap 132), selling drug not of the nature, substance or quality demanded by the purchaser, might have occurred. The maximum penalty involved is HK$10,000 and three months' imprisonment. As investigation is still ongoing, the DH will seek advice from the Department of Justice on completion of our work on how to take the matter forward," the spokesman remarks.

"Meanwhile, members of the public who are taking the above medicine should check their tablets before use. Whenever in doubt, they ought to consult their healthcare providers," the spokesman advises.