Do-it-yourself is all the rage these days. Turn on the
TV and you'll be hard pressed to avoid being bombarded
by Changing Rooms-style programs. But according
to the FDA, one Quebec company has taken this plucky DIY
ethic a step too far, by selling at home diagnostic tests
for AIDS over the net — and they can't be trusted.
The US regulatory body issued a warning after two American
consumers complained about the accuracy of the tests.
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The tests
• Rapid
HIV test kit
• Rapid syphilis test kit
• One step cassette-style cocaine
test
• One step cassette-style marijuana
(THC) test
• One step cassette-style amphetamine
test
• Rapid Dengue fever test
• One step midstream style HCG urine
test
• Pregnancy test
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The tests in question are marketed
by Montreal-based Globus Média — a company
that specializes not in medical supplies, but in e-marketing
and web design.
A statement on the FDA website
says the use of these "illegal kits" could "result in
false results that could lead to significant adverse
health consequences."
BUYER
BEWARE
Here at home, Health Canada says it's reviewing the
case. "The test kits mentioned on the FDA site for HIV
are not approved for sale in Canada," says spokesperson
Nathalie Lalonde. She adds that there's no evidence
the tests are even being sold in Canada.
In terms of the other home test
kits being marketed by Globus, Ms Lalonde suggests that
concerned physicians and consumers check out Health
Canada's Medical Devices Active Listing webpage (www.mdall.ca)
for a list of approved test kits and proceed with caution.
"Our recommendation is to make sure they are getting
a device approved by Health Canada."
Globus Média's website has
been down since the FDA advisory and no one from the
company has been available for comment.
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