The Department of Health has instructed a drug importer to recall batches of a drug used for treating depression after it learned they had not been packaged by a licensed Good Manufacturing Practice manufacturer.

Deputy Director of Health Dr Gloria Tam told reporters today the department received an enquiry about Unipharm Trading Company - a drug importer with no drug-manufacturing licence. It is alleged to have supplied Amitriptyline tablets - an antidepressant - imported from a licensed drug manufacturer in the UK which it packed itself.

Pharmaceutical products Unipharm imports must be packed by local licensed GMP manufacturers before they are distributed to users and retail outlets.

Investigations show Unipharm itself packed 4,049 bottles of 25mg Amitriptyline tablets, batch  numbers AB725 and AB755, and 285 bottles of 10mg tablets, batch number AA573. Each bottle contains 500 tablets.

The drugs were distributed to public hospitals and clinics, private hospitals, private doctors and some pharmacies. The department has informed the Hospital Authority and private hospitals and told them to stop dispensing the products.

Dr Tam said there is no concern about the drug's safety or efficacy.

Unipharm was ordered to recall the products and set up a hotline - 2499 1373 - to answer consumers' queries.