Children's medicines may be withdrawn

ABU DHABI // The Ministry of Health is expected to decide today whether to withdraw some children's medicines from pharmacies after they were recalled in the US. McNeill Consumer Healthcare and the US Food and Drug Administration recalled more than 40 drugs on Friday for not meeting quality standards. The drugs include varieties of Tylenol for children.

Dr Fatima al Braiki, at the ministry's drug registration section, said only three of the products were available in the UAE. It was not clear which these were. She said the Pharmacovigilance Committee would meet today to discuss what action was needed. "In emergency situations we usually have 48 hours to take a decision," she said. "We expect to know today." The decision by the manufacturer to recall the products was taken on Friday but the ministry was closed. For a product to be removed the ministry must issue a circular to all facilities in the Northern Emirates and to the health authorities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Dr Ali al Sayed, head of the pharmaceutical unit at the Dubai Health Authority, said anything relating to the withdrawal of medicines was a federal matter. The list of recalled medicines included Tylenol Infants' Drops, Children's Tylenol Suspensions, Tylenol Plus, Motrin Drops, Children's Liquid Zyrtec and Children's Allergy Benadryl. The manufacturer said some might include a higher concentration of the active ingredient than specified. munderwood@thenational.ae