The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned the public against the sale and distribution of unregistered drug product Lianhua Qingwen Jiaonang with Chinese characters.

In an advisory dated April 7, the FDA noted the ongoing sale and distribution of the unregistered drug product even in social media platforms, such as Facebook, 

“Please be informed that only the Lianhua Qingwen Jiaonang with English text and the following details was issued with a Certificate of Product Registration (CPR) and approved to be sold/marketed in the Philippines,” the FDA advisory stated.

“Thus, the Agency cannot guarantee the quality and safety of the product with the Chinese text due to these have not undergone evaluation by the FDA and these came from unlicensed sources or establishments. The consumption of such violative product may pose potential danger or injury if administered,” it added.

The agency reiterated that the “Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009” prohibits the manufacture, importation, exportation, sale, offering for sale, distribution, transfer, promotion, advertising, or sponsorship of health products without proper authorization from FDA.

“All concerned establishments and/or entities are warned not to distribute the above-identified violative drug product, otherwise, regulatory actions and sanctions shall be strictly pursued,” it said.

“Therefore, all Local Government Units (LGU) and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) are requested to ensure that this unregistered drug product is not continually sold, distributed, or made available in their localities or areas of jurisdiction,” it added.