HSA takes down over 1,200 listings of illegal health products, issues warnings to 732 sellers including 18-year-old

HSA takes down over 1,200 listings of illegal health products, issues warnings to 732 sellers including 18-year-old
Over 1,288 online listings of unregistered health products were removed by HSA in an operation spanning five months.
PHOTO: Health Sciences Authority

A total of 1,288 online listings selling unregistered health products including medicines and contact lenses were taken down by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in a global enforcement operation.

The crackdown, held from Dec 16, 2024, to May 16, saw 732 sellers warned by the agency, said HSA said in a news release on Thursday (June 26).

One of them is an 18-year-old girl, who was nabbed in March after she advertised on messaging platform Telegram lenses for sale at her rented booth located in a shopping mall in the east.

HSA, with the Ministry of Health (MOH), jointly inspected the booth and seized 280 powered and nonpowered contact lenses.

The agency's investigations found that the girl had purchased 500 such lenses at $6 per pair from an overseas website to resell and made a profit by peddling each pair of contact lenses at $12.

HSA said it has taken enforcement action against her, and she is also being investigated by MOH and will be dealt with separately.

Unregistered contact lenses seized from a booth in a shopping mall located in the east.
PHOTO: Health Sciences Authority

Unregistered contact lenses is in the top three categories of illegal health product listings removed from local e-commerce and social media platforms, with 171 of such listings taken down.

HSA also blocked 16 overseas based websites selling unregistered contact lenses to consumers in Singapore.

The authority said such products, marketed to consumers at attractive prices, have not been evaluated by for safety and quality and poses risks of causing serious complications such as eye infections, corneal ulcers, and potential vision impairment.

It said it had received seven reports from 2024 to June 2025 of users who experienced adverse eye reactions including redness, conjunctivitis, eye infections, corneal ulceration and blurred vision.

Most affected consumers required medical treatment with antibiotics, and the actual number of affected users may be higher as some might not have sought medical treatment.

Half of illegal listings removed sold unregistered medicine

Aside from unregistered contact lenses, the top two categories of illegal listings consisted of medicines for skin and hair conditions, and antibiotic, antifungal, and antiviral creams/tablets/capsules.

644 listings, half of the total 1,288 removed, were found to be selling prescription medicines including acne creams, hair loss medicines and antibiotic, antifungal, and antiviral tablets and capsules.

One of the illegal product listings removed by HSA.
PHOTO: Health Sciences Authority

HSA said these products are often purchased for self-medication, but warned that consumers who buy them online are risking their health as prescription medicines contain potent ingredients and should only be used under proper medical supervision.

"These medicines have not been evaluated by HSA to be safe, effective and of good quality," it added.

"The unsupervised use of antibiotics and antifungal medicines can cause adverse reactions and mask serious underlying conditions requiring medical diagnosis; they can also lead to antimicrobial resistance."

Other illegal health products that were detected and removed by the agency from online platforms included diagnostic and personal care medical devices, such as blood pressure monitors, painkillers or muscle relaxants, and illegal aesthetic enhancement products such as dermal fillers.

HSA has warned that the sale of prescription medicines, medical devices that are either unregistered or intended for professional use only, and adulterated health products on local e-commerce platforms is illegal. 

Strong enforcement action will be taken against sellers and suppliers, it added.

Any person who supplies such health products is liable to prosecution and if convicted, may face a jail term of up to three years and/or fined up to $100,000.

It added that all importers and wholesalers of contact lenses with refractive power must be licensed by HSA and certified to comply with Good Distribution Practice.

Anyone caught importing or supplying unregistered contact lenses can be fined up to $100,000 and/or jailed for up to three years under the Health Products Act.

Under the Optometrists and Opticians Act, unqualified persons who prescribe, supply, prepare, or dispense contact lenses may face a fine of up to $25,000 and/or six months' imprisonment for the first offence, and up to $50,000 fine and/or 12 months' imprisonment for the subsequence offences.

Members of the public who encounter illegal, fake or other suspicious health products are encouraged to contact HSA by calling 68663485 or via email at hsa_is@hsa.gov.sg.

lim.kewei@asiaone.com

For more original AsiaOne articles, visit here.

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