SINGAPORE, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Health Sciences Authority has removed 1,288 listings of illegal health products from local e-commerce and social media platforms between December 2024 and May 2025, the agency said in a statement on Thursday.

Warnings were issued to 732 sellers, including an 18-year-old who was found promoting and selling unregistered contact lenses.

The three most common categories of illegal products removed were medicines for skin and hair conditions, which accounted for 37 percent of the listings, antibiotic, antifungal and antiviral creams, tablets, and capsules, which made up 15 percent, and unregistered contact lenses, which comprised 13 percent.

Of the 1,288 listings removed, 644 were prescription medicines.

Such products are often purchased by consumers who self-medicate, the authority said, warning that buying prescription medicines online poses serious health risks. These medications contain potent ingredients and should only be used under proper medical supervision. ■