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Calls mounting for more action as BPOM orders recall of tainted medical syrups
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National Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) Penny Kusumastuti Lukito leads a raid on herbal drinks and illegal medicine in Cilincing, North Jakarta on Sept. 21, 2018. (Tempo/ M Julnis Firmansyah)
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onsumer groups, lawmakers and pharmacists are calling for more action by the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) following its decision to order several medicinal syrups to be recalled from the market over their possible links to fatal kidney injuries among almost 100 children.
This came after an early investigation by an expert team formed by the Health Ministry detected traces of chemical compounds that might have caused the unusual acute kidney injury (AKI), in medicines that had been consumed by the sick children before they displayed signs of the kidney injury and in the children’s bodies.
The dangerous compounds are ethylene glycol (EG), diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol butyl ether (EGBE), according to ministry spokesman Mohammad Syahril. The ministry has since banned the use of all medicinal syrups as a precautionary measure while waiting for the BPOM's investigation results.
While authorities have not identified the definitive cause of the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) has found possible links between high levels DEG and EG with the deaths of nearly 70 children in Gambia, West Africa. WHO investigators traced the source of those dangerous compounds to medicinal syrups made by India-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals.
The BPOM said last week that no products from Maiden Pharmaceuticals were ever sold in Indonesia, and has always banned the use of DEG and EG in any medicinal syrup products.
But the agency said on Thursday at least five medicinal syrups were found to contain more than the acceptable level of EG. The five products are Termorex Syrup from PT Konimex, Flurin DMP Syrup from PT Yarindo Farmatama and three variants of Unibebi cough and fever syrups from Universal Pharmaceutical Industries.
While the BPOM found no conclusive evidence between the unacceptable EG levels and the AKI cases, the agency has now ordered those products to be taken off the shelves.
