Health Canada

 Health Canada,   Sep 3, 2008

2008-152
September 3, 2008

Advisory
Unauthorized Health Products Found on the Canadian Market

OTTAWA - Health Canada is advising consumers not to use any unauthorized health products sold under the brand names Life Choice, Healthy Choice, Doctor’s Choice and Your Choice as well as the products without a brand name included in the table below. All of these unauthorized health products have the same identifying image on their label. Health Canada issued a Public Warning on two other Life Choice products, Ephedrine 30mg and Kava Kava, on August 21, 2008.

The twenty-two unapproved products listed in the table below reportedly contain ingredients that are prescription drugs and are being sold without a prescription or are intended for use under the supervision of a health care professional only. There are risks with taking these drugs without supervision by a health care professional. You may be misdiagnosed, the treatment might not be appropriate to treat your illness and you may miss the opportunity to obtain appropriate treatment. You may also put yourself at risk for drug interactions, or harmful side effects.

In addition, Health Canada has determined that three of the products, Healthy Choice Lean & Trim, Life Choice Folic Acid, and Life Choice Raw Desiccated Thyroid Glandular are contaminated with bacteria. These products are listed in bold type and marked by an asterisk in the table. The bacterial contamination in these products could lead to serious adverse health effects, particularly in susceptible individuals with a compromised immune system, infants, children, the elderly, or those with some underlying diseases or conditions.

The above-mentioned 22 products are not authorized for sale in Canada. Consumers should exercise caution when purchasing health products from outside Canada or over the Internet, as these products may not have undergone the same degree of assessment as those authorized for sale in Canada. Consumers are reminded that health products that are authorized for sale in Canada will have an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), a Natural Product Number (NPN) or a Drug Identification Number for Homeopathic Medicine (DIN-HM) on the label. These numbers indicate that the products have been assessed by Health Canada for safety, effectiveness and quality.

Health Canada advises retailers to remove this product from their shelves. Health Canada is taking measures to prevent these products from entering the Canadian market.

Canadians who have used these brands of products and are concerned about their health should consult a health care practitioner. Consumers who have purchased these products should return them to the place of purchase.

The text in this article was prepared by Health Canada.