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Public advisory

Archived – Unauthorized Health Products Found on the Canadian Market

Starting date:
September 3, 2008
Posting date:
September 3, 2008
Type of communication:
Advisory
Subcategory:
Drugs
Source of recall:
Health Canada
Issue:
Unauthorized products, Contamination, Microbial Hazard, Undeclared Substance, Product withdrawal
Audience:
General Public
Identification number:
RA-110002376

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 (below). 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.

Unauthorized Health Product Reported Drug Ingredient(s)
Doctor's Choice Lithium Orotate (5 mg) Lithium orotate
Frisky Female, Female Aphrodisiac Progesterone
Gerovital H-3 (60 capsules) Procaine hydrochloride
Healthy Choice Lean & Trim (90V capsules, 808 mg per capsule)* L-Carnitine
Ma Huang containing ephedrine
Life Choice Acetyl-L-Carnitine Capsules (500 mg per capsule) L-Carnitine
Life Choice DMAE (Dimethylamineoethanol Bitartrate)
Lights On (340 mg per capsule)
Deanol
Life Choice FHBB DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone)
Estrogen
Life Choice Fiery Male Yohimbe bark 3%
DHEA
Folic acid 3mg
Mucuna Pruriens containing Levodopa
Life Choice Folic Acid (3mg)* Folic Acid
Life Choice HGH+ (Human Growth Hormone) Homeopathic 30 mL Human Growth Hormone
Thyroid
Life Choice Lean Energizer L-Carnitine
Life Choice L-Carnitine, (free form Capsules, 250 mg per capsule) L-Carnitine
Life Choice L-Carnitine & CoQ10 - Capsules (550 mg per capsule) L-Carnitine
Life Choice L-Carnitine (free form 50 V-Capsules, 500 mg per capsule) L-Carnitine
Life Choice L-tryptophan (60 V-capsules 500 mg per capsule) L-Tryptophan
Life Choice MHBB Testosterone
Life Choice Neurological Support Acetyl-L-Carnitine
Deanol
Procaine hydrochloride
Life Choice Progesterone Cream Net Wt. 2 oz (58 g) Progesterone 100%
Life Choice Raw Desiccated Thyroid Glandular* Raw Desiccated Thyroid Tissue
Tri-Estrogen Cream Estradiol, Esterone
Yohimbe, 500 mg per capsule Yohimbe bark 3% extract
Your Choice Horny Goat Weed Mucuna Pruriens containing Levodopa

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.

Health Canada also advises Canadians to contact the Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate at 1-800-267-9675 if they find these brands of products for sale in Canada.

Consumers requiring more information about this advisory can contact Health Canada's public enquiries line at 613-957-2991, or toll free at
1-866-225-0709.

To report a suspected adverse reaction to this health product, please contact the Canada Vigilance Program of Health Canada by one of the following methods:

Telephone: 1-866-234-2345
Facsimile: 1-866-678-6789

Canada Vigilance Marketed Health Products Directorate Ottawa, Ontario, AL 0701C K1A 0K9
E-mail: CanadaVigilance@hc-sc.gc.ca

The Canada Vigilance adverse reaction reporting form, including a version that can be completed and submitted online, is located in the MedEffectTMCanada area of the Health Canada Web site.


Media enquiries

Health Canada
613-957-2983

Public enquiries

613-957-2991
1-866-225-0709

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