Amoxicillin recall

The MHRA has issued a Class 2 alert to recall Chatfield brand amoxicillin suspensions expiring in August 2007 and Dedoxil brand amoxicillin capsules expiring on or before May 2009. Pharmacists are requested to quarantine any remaining stock and return it to their supplier for credit. The Agency  reports that there are concerns about the quality of active ingredients used in manufacture

Amoxicillin is a generic drug i.e. an off-patent drug which may be manufactured by any company anywhere.   Patients should be aware that the Department of Health is actually fining GPs huge sums for not prescribing sufficient of these generic drugs.    This is not the first faulty generic drug to be withdrawn after being prescribed to patients.   There is also the high risk of generics being deficient in quality due to being counterfeits.

The risks to patients are obvious yet the DoH does not appear to care just so long as the PCTs books balance.   In fact, the DoH does not care about patients so long as cheap drugs are used.   GPs do care but are compelled by the Stalinist DoH to prescribe generics.

Cheap and nasty, like this government.

(29/6/07)