KUCHING: A local pharmacy is taking the necessary precautions to ensure — the safety of their customers, following the pharmaceutical product recall on Ternolol 50 film-coated tablets for those suffering from hypertension.
Shine Pharmacy proprietor Charles Liew said his staff members had been briefed on the product and steps had been taken to avoid buyers from receiving the affected batch number BG04645.
“We do carry Ternolol 50 in our stores but after confirming the affected batch number and comparing it to what we have, we can assure all that we do not have any of the affected Ternolol 50 tablets in store.
“We have also requested our staff to check with the customers to see if the latter had any tablets from the affected batch at home. If they happen to have the affected batch, we would request that they return to us the product so that we could return it to the manufacturer,” he told The Borneo Post when contacted yesterday.
Liew was responding to a news report on a national daily yesterday, stating that the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) had issued the instruction for the manufacturer to recall the affected batch containing boxes that labelled the tablets as ‘Ternolol 50’ on the exterior packaging, but the blister strip stated them as ‘Ternolol 100’ instead.
Liew added that if customers were unsure if they possessed the affected batch, they could come to the pharmacy where his personnel would be ready to assist them.
“This is the first time that we have ever encountered a product recall since opening. The product recall could be due to critical quality defects or reports of serious adverse drug reactions.
“Our advice for the public would be to not panic when you see such news on the Internet. Instead, you should seek clarification from certified medical personnel,” he said.
According to the news, the NPRA strongly advised patients to check their pills and if they turned out to be from the affected batch, they should be returned immediately to the clinics, pharmacies or medical facilities where they were first dispensed.
The full statement can be accessed via http://npra.moh.gov.my.