Two arrested in HK beauty center

One man and a woman suspected of illegal possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products were arrested in a beauty center in Hong Kong and one of them was also suspected of illegal medical practice, a spokesman for the city's Department of Health said Tuesday.

The spokesman said that acting on a public complaint, a joint operation with the Police was mounted on Monday night against a beauty center in Mong Kok, Hong Kong.

A 58-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman were arrested. The enforcement team found that the man, who was not a registered medical practitioner, presented himself as a doctor to his client in the beauty center. Investigations also found that the man offered botulinum toxin injection to a client at the center. The product was suspected to be unregistered.

They are on police bail pending further inquiries.

The spokesman said, "botulinum toxin for injection is a prescription medicine mainly indicated for the treatment of facial spasms. Since the botulinum toxin injection found in the beauty center has not been assessed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, the statutory authority for drug registration in Hong Kong, its safety, efficacy and quality is uncertain."

He reminded the public that invasive beauty procedures such as injections of chemical substances or pharmaceutical products may carry risks such as bleeding, infection, scarring and nerve injury.

"These procedures require a client's informed choice and potential users are advised to discuss with their doctors about the benefits and risks of such procedures and the full details of the procedure before making a decision."

In the wake of a fatal incident involving a beauty center, Hong Kong has formed four working groups to review private healthcare facilities in the city.

On Oct. 10, a 46 year-old woman died in a Hong Kong hospital after suffering septic shock following blood transfusions at a beauty center in Causeway Bay. She had been infected with a drug-resistant "superbug." Another three women were badly ill after receiving the same treatment at the beauty center.