The FDA has alerted its offices across the country and launched a major crackdown on the practice, FDA secretary-general Phakdi Pothisiri said.

A vast number of human drugs, including antibiotics and steroids, some labelled "prescription drug", have already been confiscated from veterinary drugstores in Suphan Buri and Uttaradit, where random checks were recently conducted, he said. "Penicillin residue, even in small amounts, can kill people allergic to the drug," said Phakdi.

"And it's highly unlikely we'll know if the food we're going to eat contains such residues."

In Nakhon Pathom, some drugs meant for humans, but regarded as being capable of killing viruses in pigs, have been sold from stores stocked with agricultural equipment and chemicals.

Nakhon Pathom has the largest concentration of pig farms in the country.

Initial FDA investigations have traced the alleged distributor to a non-existent company, he said.

"Although they use human drugs on animals, the adverse effects of such misconduct can affect consumers," said Phakdi, adding that the difference between human and veterinary drugs was that human drugs were not tested for drug residues in the event of human consumption.

The penalty for selling unauthorised drugs is a maximum of five years in jail and a Bt20,000 fine, while producers could face 20 years in jail and a Bt20,000 fine.

The FDA is also currently in the process of toughening its stance on skin-whitening products, said Phakdi.

He said the FDA had warned all producers of such products to stop advertising, because the claims they made were often exaggerated.

But many of them still continued to use advertising, particularly on TV, said FDA cosmetics control division Phongpraphan Susanthita-phong. Legal proceedings are to be brought against firms defying the FDA order, said Phongpraphan.

Arthit Khwankhom

The Nation