More drugs not following pharmaceutical regulations were seized in a grocery
In the course of the routine inspections and audits on pharmacies and health care centers in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi carried on by Abu Dhabi Health Authority inspection teams, and upon recommendation from Drugs and medical products department , Abu Dhabi Health Authority decided to recall "LIMCEE , Vitamin C Chewable Tablets 500 mg , manufactured in India", from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi markets. The product contained wrong information in Arabic and English on both the package and the leaflet misleading patients into improper use of the drug.
The Health Authority issued a circular requesting the pharmacies to return all the available stock of this product to the concerned local distributor.
On the other hand , the pharmacy inspection team -in response to a complaint issued by a citizen - visited a grocery store in Abu Dhabi where they found different medicines. The inspectors posed as secret shoppers and purchased 4 items from the shop:
1 - Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride tablets, an antibiotic
2 - Cefalexin Capsules , an antibiotic
3 - Levonorgestrel and Quinestrol tablets , a hormonal product
4 - Herbal sex stimulant
"The saleswoman gave us some counseling and advice on how to use these product, same as you would expect from a real pharmacist" says one of the inspectors .
All these products carried information written in Chinese.
Dr. Mohammed Abu Elkhahir, Head of Drugs and Medical products Department said that Antibiotics and Hormones are Prescription-Only medicines and should not be sold without a medical prescription, adding that these products might have entered UAE illegally by passengers visiting the country.
Engineer Zaid D. Al Siksek Director of Health Policy and Regulation stated that all inspection visits and findings are carried on in coordination with the concerned governmental agencies. Necessary steps are taken to check, control and prevent non-pharmaceutical facilities from trading in medicines. Violators are seized .
He added that these inspections are preformed to protect the local market from counterfeit products and to curb the problem of doing business on the expense of the health of individuals in the community and do not care to pay attention to any legal, health and ethical requirements. "We are not aiming at punishment. Our inspections are for preventative and corrective purposes that aim at providing better healthcare through the highest standards of quality and safety" concludes Mr. Ziad .
-Ends-
© Press Release 2007
