HKTVmall shop taken offline for allegedly reselling public hospital drugs

An HKTVmall shop was taken offline on Tuesday after it allegedly resold medication obtained from a public hospital.

Responding to media inquiries today, the online shopping platform said it is currently conducting an investigation to understand the full scope of the situation, with the shop in question taken offline.

It said the incident happened last year, with the customer receiving the goods on May 29 and reporting back to the platform of the problem on July 9.

According to information online, the customer, who claimed to be 38 weeks pregnant at the time, complained that she received lactulose, a laxative that she ordered on HKTVmall, with a patient’s name and other information indicating it was from Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital.

The platform said it had asked the shop to provide details of the order, yet it had failed to provide them given all relevant CCTV footage and photos had been deleted one month after the completion of the order.

HKTVmall then proceeded to arrange a refund for the customer and recalled the product.

The platform also noted in its response today that the shop in question must provide a valid supply certificate of its goods, and that actions will be taken against it if any violations are found, including terminating their contract.

The shop will also be held accountable for any legal responsibilities, adding that HKTVmall does not tolerate any illegal acts.

Meanwhile, So Yiu-wah, president of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Hong Kong, said the city had seen cases where people resell their own medication obtained from public hospitals, yet it is the first time for such a case to have occurred on a major online shopping platform.

He reminded members of the public that even though lactulose is not a prescription drug, the drug should be sold at authorized dispensaries only.

He also said people who have excess medication should tell their prescribing doctor or pharmacist when receiving their medication to prevent wastage.