New Zealand has not imported the contaminated medicines that are suspected of being linked to the deaths of nearly 100 children in Indonesia this year, according to Medsafe.
The deaths of 99 children in Indonesia, due to acute kidney injury, prompted the country to suspend sales of all syrup and liquid medication, officials said Thursday.
Indonesia’s Food and Drug Monitoring Agency said it was tracing 26 medicinal syrups used to treat fevers, coughs and colds, noting that testing showed five such medicines had ethylene glycol levels “that exceeded the safe threshold".
It follows a global alert issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) over four cough syrups manufactured by Indian manufacturer Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd that have been linked to the deaths of almost 70 children in The Gambia.
But the Ministry of Health says you won't find any of the red-flagged medicines on the shelves of Aotearoa's pharmacies.
"Medsafe has previously received notification of this issue and determined that it did not apply to any products approved for supply in New Zealand," a spokesperson for the ministry said.
Medicines, including those made in India, must be approved through a strict quality and effectiveness vetting process based on the New Zealand code of Good Manufacturing Practice, they said.
"This includes scrutiny of the ingredients used, the manufacturing process and the manufacturing site."
They must also be frequently inspected by a trusted regulator deemed acceptable to Medsafe.
The source of the contaminated medicine, Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd, has never met the criteria for distribution in New Zealand, the spokesperson said.
Additional reporting by the Associated Press.
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