ISLAMABAD: The government has started a crackdown on spurious and substandard drugs and has directed healthcare professionals, physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and procurement managers at hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, healthcare institutions and the general public to immediately stop using the products that are declared spurious by drug testing laboratories.
A notification issued here on Friday by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) while recalling the affected products has directed all the relevant quarters to stop using these products.
The Directorate of Drugs Control (DDC) Punjab vide Alert No 137/2024 has informed that the following samples of drug products have been declared as “Spurious” by Drug Testing Laboratories (DTL) Multan, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Faisalabad.
Details of affected products are as follows:(i) Nutricare Syrup 450ml which is used for the treatment and prevention of different forms of anaemia batch number NC-457 produced by M/s Care Pharmaceuticals.
(ii) Velosef 500mg Capsule used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections like skin, ear, respiratory and urinary tract infections batch number 447M manufactured by M/s GSK, Karachi.
(iii) Pyodine Solution 60m and Pyodine Solution 450ml used on the skin to treat or prevent skin infection in minor cuts, scrapes, or burns batch number 04813 and 08913 manufactured by M/s Brookes Pharma, Karachi.
(iv) Tanzo 0.5g injection is used to treat pneumonia (inflammation of air sacs in one or both lungs), skin, gynecological, and abdominal (stomach area) infections batch number PN220142 manufactured by M/s Bosch Pharmaceuticals, Karachi.
(v) Dygowin 10mg Tablet used to treat various conditions caused by progesterone deficiencies such as female infertility, pain during menstruation, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), endometriosis, abnormal uterine bleeding, and miscarriage batch number 736 manufactured by M/s Weather Fold Pharmaceuticals, Hattar, Haripur District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
(vi) Duphaston tablet is used to treat disorders related to the female reproductive cycle, infertility, irregular menses, and uterine bleeding batch number 230672 manufactured by Highnoon Laboratories Lahore and batch number 230092 by Abbott Laboratories, Karachi.
(vii) Cefspan 400mg Capsule used for the treatment of bacterial infections of the ear, nose or sinuses batch number D6780 M/s. Barrett Hodgson Pakistan, Karachi.
(viii) Phenobarb 30mg Tablet used to treat and prevent epilepsy batch number QA023 manufactured by M/s Star Laboratories, Lahore.
(ix) Powder Amox 500 (1kg) veterinary use imported by M/s Brand Station, Lahore batch number 0010823 Manufactured by M/s the North Star Import Export Joint Stock Company, Can Tho City, Vietnam.
The regulatory field force has been directed to increase surveillance throughout the supply chain system including healthcare facilities to confiscate/ seize this product from the market without any delay.
All Pharmacists, chemists, and other healthcare professionals working at distributions, pharmacies, healthcare facilities, and other aspects of the supply chain system should immediately check the stock to halt the distribution/ supply of this product.
Information related to the supplier of this product should be provided to the Regulatory field force (DRAP, Provincial Health Departments, and States) to ensure the removal of this product.
Consumers should stop using this product and shall contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to taking or using this drug product and report the incident to the DRAP/National Pharmaco vigilance Centre
All therapeutic goods must be obtained from licensed pharmacies and other authorised/ licensed retail outlets. The authenticity and condition of products should be carefully checked. Advice should be sought from pharmacists or other healthcare professionals in case of any doubt.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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