Stroke fear sees drugs banned
Hospital bosses last night banned the prescription of two cold remedies containing an ingredient that has been linked to fatal strokes.
The US Food and Drug Administration recently discovered a link between phenylpropanolamine (PPA), a common ingredient in over-the-counter cold and diet medicines, and haemorrhagic strokes.
The Food and Drug Administration has since asked drug companies to stop marketing these medicines and to remove PPA from all drug products. It has also issued a public health advisory.
But the Hospital Authority said it would suspend only two drugs - the slow-release decongestant tablets Sinutab and Dimetapp Extentab - for use at public hospitals in line with British guidelines on PPA.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board would meet this week to consider appropriate action on all cough and diet medicines containing PPA, a Department of Health spokeswoman said last night. She said the SAR might follow the mainland's move to recall and ban the use of over-the-counter medicines with PPA, as recommended by the American drug regulatory body.
