Health Canada is informing Canadians that five unauthorized drugs that may pose serious risks were seized from retailers in B.C. and Ontario. The products were seized because they were labelled to contain prescription drugs, narcotic or found to contain a prescription drug that was not listed on the label: Mega Power, Biseptol, Naproxen Emo, Oxycort, and Herba Pini Syrop.

Drugs that contain prescription drug ingredients should only be taken under the supervision of a health professional because they are used to treat specific diseases, and may cause serious side effects. Unauthorized drugs have not been approved by Health Canada which means that they have not been assessed for their safety, effectiveness and quality. As a result, they may contain ingredients not listed on the label, other additives and/or contaminated ingredients. In addition, unauthorized drugs may lack the active ingredients Canadians would expect to help maintain and improve health or contain other ingredients that may interact with other medications and foods. For all of these reasons, these products could cause serious health effects.