• Today: October 13, 2026

Health product offences net BND18,000 in fines

From January to September 2026, a total of 29 compound fines amounting to BND18,000 were imposed for health product offences, involving one individual and 28 companies.

The offences were unearthed during post-market surveillance conducted by the Ministry of Health (MoH), through the Compliance and Licensing Section, Department of Pharmaceutical Services to ensure that health products (medicines, traditional medicines, health supplements and cosmetic products) supplied and sold in Brunei Darussalam comply with the regulatory requirements.

The enforcement activities were carried out through routine inspections, market surveillance, investigations following complaints and information received from the public, as well as the monitoring of health products advertised and sold through social media and/or online platforms.

The offences for which compound fines have been issued to individuals and companies violating under the Medicines Act, Chapter 285 and its related regulations, including the Medicines (Cosmetic Products) Regulation 2007,  include the sale or supply of medicinal products without an appropriate license, and the sale of adulterated health products containing undeclared active pharmaceutical or banned ingredients.

It also includes the sale or supply of medicinal products not registered with the Brunei Darussalam Medicines Control Authority, the sale of cosmetic products that had not been notified to the MoH, and the sale of cosmetic products that do not meet the proper labelling requirements.

The MoH reminded importers, wholesalers, retailers including online sellers that they are responsible for ensuring that health products comply with the relevant requirements before they are imported, advertised, supplied or placed on the market in Brunei Darussalam. In particular, medicinal products must be registered with the Brunei Darussalam Medicines Control Authority before they may be imported and sold in Brunei Darussalam.

Cosmetic products must be notified to the Brunei Darussalam Medicines Control Authority before they are placed on the market; and traditional medicines and health supplements must comply with the applicable Guidelines on Traditional Medicines and Health Supplements, including the relevant requirements on ingredients, labelling and product claims.

Members of the public are advised to exercise caution when purchasing products, particularly through online platforms and social media. Consumers should avoid products obtained from unknown or unreliable sources, products without proper labelling, and products making exaggerated claims such as “instant results”, “guaranteed cure” or “no side effects”.

Consumers are encouraged to consult a doctor or pharmacist before using any health product, particularly if they have an existing medical condition, are taking other medicines, or are pregnant or breastfeeding. Anyone experiencing an undesirable reaction after using a health product should discontinue its use and seek medical advice promptly.

The MoH also called upon the public to report any suspected sale of illegal, adulterated or otherwise non-compliant health products. For information or to report suspicious health products, the public may contact the Compliance and Licensing Section at 2393301 extension 208; send an email to pharmacy.enforcement@moh.gov.bn.

 

SOURCE/AUTHOR : BORNEO BULLETIN/James Kon

Venues

BSB

Comments (0)

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!

Leave a Comment

Total visitors: 3,720,794 | Today's visitors: 20,408
Updated: 20:31:03