Singapore removes over 1,200 illegal pharmaceutical listings from online platforms

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) of Singapore announced on Thursday that it removed 1,288 illegal health product listings, including 644 prescription medicine, from local e-commerce and social media platforms.

The top three categories of illegal health product listings detected and removed by HSA consisted of medicine for skin and hair conditions (37%); antibiotic, antifungal and antiviral creams, tablets or capsules (15%); and unregistered contact lenses (13%).

Notably, among the delisted items were 644 prescription drugs. Authorities also issued warnings to 732 sellers peddling products, including an 18-year-old who advertised contact lenses for sale on the Telegram messaging app.

The agency said consumers who buy these medicines online are risking their health, as prescription medicines contain potent ingredients and should only be used under proper medical supervision.