81,000 Sirop Drugs Containing EG-DEGmarizers Has BPOM Batamriksa

Several sirop drug products were withdrawn by the police some time ago in Batam, Riau Islands Province. (PHOTO ANTARA/HO/Humas Polresta Barelang)

The Batam Food and Drug Control Center (BPOM), Riau Islands Province has withdrawn 81,000 sirop drugs containing Ethilen Glikol (EG) and Dietilen Glikol (DEG) contamination. "“ To date, 81,000 products have been withdrawn in Batam and will continue to be carried out until December 2022," said Head of BPOM Batam, Lintang Purba Jaya via electronic messages received in Batam, Antara, Friday, November 18. He explained that the 81,000 products withdrawn were carried out by Big Pharmaceutical Traders (PBF) and Pharmaceutical Industry (IF) in every pharmacy and drug store in Batam. "Because the responsibility lies with them (PBF and IF), BPOM oversees its withdrawal," he said. For the product withdrawn is everything contained in the list of 73 products withdrawn according to the central BPOM letter. Previously, the Head of the Indonesian Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) Penny K Lukito announced that two pharmaceutical companies in Indonesia are now suspects in suspected cases of sirop drugs contaminated with dangerous chemicals. "PT Yarindo Farmatama and PT Universal Pharmaceutical Industries have carried out an investigation process and named suspects," said Penny K Lukito at a press conference on the Development of Supervision and Enforcement Results Related to the EG/DEG Dispolminated Drug Sirop at the BPOM RI Building, Jakarta, Thursday (17/11). He said that the sirop drug products from the two private pharmaceutical industries had been clinically proven to contain EG/DEG contamination which was strongly suspected to be the cause of acute kidney problems in children in Indonesia. The two companies were proven to have violated the safe limit on sirop drugs, which is a maximum of 0.1 percent, said Penny K Lukito.