Liko warns of banned medicine

THE Health Department is warning private and public pharmacies, hospitals and medicine retailers to remove four cold and cough syrups which are likely contaminated.
A department circular notified potential buyers to remove the:

• Promethazine Oral Solution;
• Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup;
• Makoff Baby Cough Syrup; and,
• Magrip N Cold Syrup produced by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd in Haryana, India.

They have been removed from markets worldwide.
Health Secretary Dr Osborne Liko said there was no evidence that these particular banned medicines were sold in the country.
“The immediate removal from the market is based on findings revealed by the World Health Organisation that samples of the four products contain unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants and are toxic to humans when consumed and can be fatal,” he said.
“To this date, these products have been identified in Gambia (in West Africa), but have been distributed through informal markets into other countries.
“We are doing our part to inform the public and urge all health sectors to report to the PNG Drug Info and Pharmacovigilance Unit if they come across these products.”
Dr Liko said the important message was not to use cough syrups.
“Check the content before giving it to children,” he said.
“We have not received such contaminated toxic cough syrups as yet.
“But as a responsible agent of the Government, we are putting measures in place to minimise any health hazard issues.”
Port Moresby General Hospital chief executive Dr Paki Molumi said they had not bought or did not have these medicines.