The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) issued an alert regarding five allegedly contaminated syrups circulating within World Health Organization (WHO) regions.
In a public alert No. 037/2023, signed by Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of NAFDAC, the agency warned about the presence of these harmful oral liquid dosage forms across various WHO regions: America, Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia, and Western Pacific. The affected products were also identified in countries like the Maldives, Pakistan, Belize, Fiji, and Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
The identified syrups—ALERGO Syrup, EMIDONE Suspension, MUCORID Syrup, ULCOFIN Suspension, and ZINCELL Syrup—originated from PHARMIX LABORATORIES (PVT.) LTD (Pakistan). The laboratory screenings of these syrups found concerning levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, contaminants hazardous to human health. The contamination levels ranged from 0.62 to 0.82 per cent w/w, exceeding the permissible limit of 0.10% w/w.
Following these findings, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) instructed PHARMIX LABORATORIES to halt the production of all oral liquid dosage medicines and initiated a recall alert for the five identified oral dosages. DRAP’s assessment suggested potential contamination in other products and batches manufactured by the same company.
These contaminants—Diethylene Glycol and Ethylene Glycol—are toxic and pose severe health risks when consumed, potentially causing abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, altered mental state, acute kidney injury, and even death.
NAFDAC urged caution among importers, distributors, retailers, and consumers, emphasizing the dangers associated with these substandard products. Adeyeye advised against the use or sale of these syrups, urging individuals with the listed products to surrender them to the nearest NAFDAC office.
Furthermore, Adeyeye encouraged individuals who may have used these products to seek immediate medical advice and asked healthcare professionals and consumers to report adverse reactions or suspected substandard medicines to NAFDAC. She stressed the importance of procuring medical products from authorized suppliers and verifying authenticity before use.