The Mataram Police found that one pharmacy had 1,026 bottles of Sirop contaminated with Ethilen Glikol (EG) and Dietilen Glikol (DEG). The two substances are suspected to be dangerous causing mysterious acute kidney failure.
Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit (Satreskrim) of the Mataram Police, Kompol Kadek Adi Budi Astawa, said the stored sirop drugs included the Unibebi Cough branded Universal Pharmaceutical Industries product.
"So, the drug we found at the Ampenan pharmacy area has been quarantined by the owner. Now they are waiting to return to the factory," said Kadek Adi in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), quoted from Antara, Tuesday, October 25.
Kadek assured that the brand drug was no longer circulating. The pharmacy has also issued an appeal to consumers that there is no sale of cough, flu, and fever drugs in the form of sirops for children.
"Pharmacies are also aware of the prohibition on circulation from the Ministry of Health and BPOM circulars," he said.
In monitoring assistance activities from the Food and Drug Supervisory Center (BPOM), the Mataram Police ensured that there were no more pharmacies selling sirop drugs for children according to directions from the Ministry of Health and BPOM.
It is planned that this activity will resume tomorrow, Wednesday, October 26. "So, the circular letter from the Ministry of Health has been known by the pharmacies that we visited. No products are included in the list of prohibitions being sold again," he said.
The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) through letter Number: HK.02.02/III/3515/2022, dated October 24, 2022, issued instructions for the use of sirop and liquid drugs in children in order to prevent an increase in GGAPA cases or Atypical Progressive Acute Kidney Injury.
In a letter signed by Plt. Director General of Health Services drg. Murti Utami, conveyed an explanation from BPOM RI regarding a list of sirop drugs that do not contain chemicals that are suspected to be the cause of the GGAPA case in children, namely Propilen Glikol, Poliethylene Glikol, Sorbitol, and/Gliserol, as well as those that are safe to use according to usage rules.
The Ministry of Health through the letter also conveyed the number of GGAPA cases in children as of October 23, 2022.
There were 245 cases recorded in children with a percentage of patients recovering 16 percent, in care 27 percent, and died 57 percent.
Recently, the Ministry of Health said as many as 156 sirop medicinal products in Indonesia can be re-deposed and circulated in the market. Hundreds of sirop drugs have been confirmed to be free from harmful compounds.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, Mohammad Syahril, said that the BPOM has ensured that the products listed in the list do not use the Glikol Propilent, Glikol Polyethylene, Sorbitol, Glycerin or Gliserol, and are safe as long as they are used according to usage rules.
"Health workers at health care facilities can prescribed or provide drugs in the form of liquid/sirp preparations based on the announcement from BPOM on 133 types of drugs in attachments 1 and 23 brands of drugs in attachments 2A," he said in a written statement, Monday, October 25.
The list of 133 types of drugs released by BPOM can be seen on the link here. Meanwhile, regarding the list of prescription drugs that are difficult to replace according to the BPOM's instructions, they can be seen on the link here.
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