BPOM destroys Rp 4b worth of tainted traditional medicines
The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) destroyed on Tuesday a large amount of unregistered drugs, chemically tainted medicines, expired drugs and illegal food and cosmetics worth Rp 4 billion (US$344,917) seized during market operations in October.
The destroyed good comprised 882,845 items consisting 3,704 different products.
BPOM investigators raided 196 facilities, comprising manufacturing sites, importer/distributor offices, pharmacies, supermarkets, drug stores, warehouses, clinics and kiosks, in the two-day operation, which took place on Oct. 22 and 23.
“From the results of the investigation into the 196 facilities, it was found that almost 70 percent of the products at the sites were illegal products,” the BPOM said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
The products destroyed included 56,174 prescription drugs consisting of 696 different items; 1,059 pieces of unregistered drugs covering 10 different types; 5,564 pieces of expired drugs consisting of nine different types; 152 items of traditional medicines containing chemical substances (16,241 pieces); and 956 types of unregistered traditional medicines (340,690 pieces).
Other products destroyed were 612 items of chemically-tainted cosmetics comprising 57 different products; 1,439 unregistered cosmetics (117,397 pieces); 353 food products lacking distribution permits (200,402 items); 144,518 food items containing hazardous substances consisting of 20 different types of products; and 12 types of expired food (183 items).
On Tuesday, the BPOM also destroyed Rp 3 billion worth of traditional medicines containing chemical substances.
The agency crushed the products as a follow up to post-market surveillance in Banten, in April, during which it named a suspect, identified only by the initials APN.
The products destroyed included 1.2 million pieces of illegal and chemically-tainted traditional medicines consisting of eight different items and two types (263,000 pieces) of prescription drugs – such as Phenylbutazone and Afitazone – that were used in traditional medicines.
APN was charged under the 2009 Health Law. “The suspect’s case dossier has been handed over to the prosecutor’s office,” said BPOM. (ebf)
Source: The Jakarta Post
Published: 19 Nov 2013
Category: Features, Pharmaceuticals
