The Department of Health has instructed Main Life Corporation, a licensed pharmaceutical wholesaler, to recall five pharmaceutical products with un-registered sales packs, two of which also carry un-registered medical indications.

The five products with un-registered sales packs were Dexaltin Oral Paste, 50 x 2g tubes per pack; Dopareel 7.5mg, 500 tablets in blister pack; Dopareel 10mg, 500 tablets in blister pack; Glutathion, 40 tablets per pack and 100 tablets per pack; and Lacspan powder, 12 sachets per pack. The latter two also carry un-registered medical indications.

Based on available information, there is no immediate safety, efficacy or quality concern with the use of three of the products - Dexaltin oral paste, Dopareel 7.5 mg tablet and Dopareel 10 mg tablet.

As for the Glutathion and Lacspan powder, there is no evidence to support the un-registered medical indications.

The products were sold to private hospitals, private doctors, pharmacies and medicine shops. The department urged doctors and pharmacists to stop administering the five products to patients.