The Ministry of Health’s Pharmaceutical Services are on high alert, due to a flood of complaints from citizens who visited specific beauty and health centers where they were administered injectable preparations for wellness and weight loss. Speaking on the Alpha News program, Director of Pharmaceutical Services Elena Panagiotopoulou spoke about unscrupulous individuals who convince citizens that these preparations are natural and cause no side effects, even though they are not manufactured for human use and should not be used by people.
“They are intended for laboratory use, and often their intended use is not specified.”
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Ms. Panagiotopoulou cited the case of a healthcare professional who runs a wellness center and was reported by a citizen for administering such products “in an improper manner.” As she explained, the Ministry of Health collects and processes complaints from citizens, as well as information and advertisements posted online and on social media, in order to forward them, with supporting evidence, to the police for investigation.
“Talk to your doctors, talk to your pharmacists. It’s a chain, and there have been reports of side effects.”
The Director of Pharmaceutical Services urged citizens not to be swayed by such advertisements and referred to “isolated incidents” that tarnish the image of public health. At the same time, she noted that the primary source of these products is the internet, as their distribution and use are unrestricted in many European countries.
As she announced, in collaboration with the Pan-Cyprian Medical Association, an investigation is already underway to identify these establishments and inspect the products being dispensed.
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