Unauthorized amoxicillin capsules seized from Green Fresh Supermarket in Ottawa, ON, may pose serious health risks

Issue

Health Canada is warning consumers about unauthorized amoxicillin capsules that it seized from Green Fresh Supermarket in Ottawa (175 McArthur Ave.), Ontario, because the product may pose serious health risks. It is labelled to contain amoxicillin, a prescription antibiotic drug used to treat certain bacterial infections. Selling unauthorized health products in Canada is illegal. Unauthorized health products have not been approved by Health Canada, which means that they have not been assessed for safety, efficacy and quality and may pose a range of serious health risks. For example, they could contain high-risk ingredients, such as prescription drugs, additives or contaminants that may or may not be listed on the label. These ingredients could interact with other medications and foods. In addition, these products may not actually contain the active ingredients that consumers would expect them to contain to help maintain and improve their health. Prescription drugs should be used only under the supervision of a health care professional because they are used to treat specific conditions and may cause serious side effects. Amoxicillin may cause severe allergic reactions with symptoms including swollen lips, face and throat, difficulty breathing, severe skin rashes and itchiness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and signs of kidney and liver failure. It should not be used by patients with known allergies to drugs containing amoxicillin. Patients with allergies to other antibiotic types may also experience allergic reactions to amoxicillin. Misuse or overuse could lead to growth of bacteria that will not be killed by amoxicillin and means that the antibiotic may not work in the future when required (this is known as antibiotic resistance).

What you should do

• Do not use this product. Return it to your local pharmacy for proper disposal.
• Consult a health care professional if you have used this product and have health concerns.
• Buy your prescription drugs only from licensed pharmacies.
• Buy only authorized health products. Read product labels to verify that health products have been authorized for sale by Health Canada. Authorized health products have an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), Natural Product Number (NPN) or Homeopathic Drug Number (DIN-HM). You can also check whether products have been authorized for sale by searching Health Canada's Drug Product Database and Licensed Natural Health Product Database.
• Report any health product-related side effects or complaints to Health Canada.