Ministry warns about 14 cough syrups after death of children in many countries
Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Health (MoH) has warned health
departments, and medical examination and treatment establishments of localities
nationwide about 14 cough syrup products banned in some countries which have caused
death or acute kidney damage for hundreds of children.
Previously, the ministry received a relevant warning from the International
Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) that these products, produced
in India and Indonesia, contain diethylene that can cause serious harm to
health or death to users.
According to the Drug Administration of Vietnam under the MoH,
these products have not been granted drug registration certificates in Vietnam
and certificates for import into the country.
To ensure safety for users, the ministry asked health
departments of provinces and centrally-run cities, and medical establishments
under the MoH to urgently disseminate information related to the serious harm of these
products.
Health departments have
been requested to conduct inspections at pharmaceutical business establishments
on the circulation of these
products in particular; medicines without origin, or those that have yet to be approved
for circulation, in general.
Meanwhile, health facilities nationwide have been also demanded to not use the syrups, which are listed as follows.
Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff
Baby Cough Syrup, and Magrip N Cold Syrup produced by Maiden Pharmaceuticals
Limited; Temorex Syrup by PT Konimex; Flurin DMP Syrup by PT Yarindo;
Unibebi Cough Syrup, Unibebi Demam Paracetamol Drops and Unibebi Demam Paracetamol
Syrup by PT Universal Pharmaceutical Industries; Paracetamol Drops, Paracetamol
Syrup (mint) and Vipcol Syrup by PT AFI FARMA; Ambronol Syrup and DOK-1 MAX
Syrup by Marion Biotech PVT. Ltd.
In October last year, many deaths after using cough syrups were
reported in Gambia. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the deaths
could be related to four products namely Promethazine
Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby
Cough Syrup, and Magrip N Cold Syrup, produced by Maiden Pharmaceuticals
Limited of India.
Laboratory
analysis of samples of each of the four products confirmed that they contain
unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants. Indian
authorities then investigated and asked Maiden to stop producing the syrups./.