Measures to Ensure Suppliers' Compliance with Regulations for Health Supplements
Ministry of HealthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns measures against false health supplement claims, as raised by Ms Ng Ling Ling and Dr Wan Rizal regarding regulatory compliance and enforcement. Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung stated that the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) monitors advertisements under the Medicines Act, which allows for fines up to $5,000 and/or two years’ imprisonment. Over the last five years, HSA reviewed 243 advertisements, leading to 182 warnings and one prosecution against a recalcitrant advertiser for making prohibited claims. Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung emphasized that the Ministry collaborates with media outlets to publicize prosecution outcomes and educate consumers against misleading advertisements. This approach ensures companies are held accountable for their marketing activities while protecting the public from falling prey to potentially harmful health products.
Transcript
80 Ms Ng Ling Ling asked the Minister for Health (a) what process does the Ministry adopt to ensure that providers of health supplement products comply with the Health Products (Advertisement of Specified Health Products) Regulations and that those who make false claims are taken to task, especially the recalcitrant ones, so as to protect the public; and (b) how many cases of infringements have there been in each of the last five years.
81 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Health given the recent case where a health supplement company is fined for making false cancer cure claims (a) whether the Ministry is working with media outlets to regulate such claims in advertisements; and (b) what is the Ministry's stand on companies that promote such claims.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Under the Medicines Act, anyone who publishes false and misleading advertisements relating to medicinal products or prohibited claims that the product will prevent, alleviate or cure specified diseases, can be fined up to $5,000 and/or jailed up to two years.
The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) therefore monitors the advertisements of health supplements, directs companies to comply with the Act and holds them responsible for their advertising and marketing activities. Generally, a light-touch approach is adopted for first-time offenders, while stricter enforcement actions are taken for recalcitrant cases. In deciding whether prosecution is warranted, HSA also considers whether there is evidence that consumers had been harmed or that the supplements marketed were harmful. Over the last five years, HSA has reviewed 243 advertisements relating to claims made for health supplements. One hundred and eighty-two advisories and warnings have been issued and advertisers have been directed to take corrective actions such as ceasing and rectifying the offending advertisements. Prosecution action was taken against one recalcitrant advertiser which had made prohibited claims.
For recalcitrant cases, apart from the penalties imposed by the court, HSA will actively publicise these cases and also engage key media outlets to publicise the prosecution outcome to educate and warn consumers against falling prey to these companies’ misleading claims.