Pakistani medicines containing toxic chemicals banned in Maldives
The MFDA has also asked pharmacies to remove the company's liquid drugs from the approved drug list and dispose of them.
By
Ahmed Mizyal
Pakistan's Pharmix Laboratories company’s medicines have been banned in the Maldives over the presence of toxic chemical content.
The Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) has issued an alert saying that some liquid drugs manufactured by Pharmix contain chemicals such as diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG).
Several other countries have also reported that the company's liquid drugs contain the substance. The MFDA said the chemicals were found in two of the company's drugs in the Maldivian market.
EG and DEG are chemicals used to make coolants, hydraulic fluids, etc., which are banned in many countries for use in food and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
As a precautionary measure, the MFDA has banned the import, sale and use of any Pharmix Laboratories liquid drugs in Maldives.
The MFDA has also asked pharmacies to remove the company's liquid drugs from the approved drug list and dispose of them in accordance with the prescribed procedure. The authority has shared a list of liquid drugs from Pharmix Laboratories that are currently on the approved list.
For more information, call the MFDA Medicine and Therapeutic Foods Division hotline at 7200321.
