Dubai: The Ministry of Health and Prevention has stressed the safety of all medicines containing pseudoephedrine, a substance which is already authorised by the ministry to treat symptoms of nasal congestion resulting from flu.
Calling on patients to pay full attention to the instructions of doctors and pharmacists as well as leaflets, the ministry also confirmed that such medicines are free from medical warnings not stated in the leaflet.
Dr Ameen Hussain Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health and Prevention for Public Health Policy and Licensing and chairman of the Supreme Committee for Pharmaceutical Vigilance, said that what has been spreading recently on social media about some types of drugs such as Panadol, Cold and Flu, Advil Cold, Clarinez and Flutab is absolutely untrue.
The ministry has not received any notification in this regard from any authority, including the Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and the European Medicines Agency. Al Amiri added.
He pointed out that targeted medicines are registered in the country of origin and no circulars have been issued banning their use. They are authorised in the United States and Europe as well as the GCC countries.
Al Amiri said that warnings made through social media were only side effects of some of those medicines that could probably emerge in some cases. and these effects are already mentioned in the leaflets.
In addition, medicines in the UAE are not given to patients without an authorised medical prescription or by an authorised pharmacist, Al Amiri highlighted.
Talking about the consequences of rumours, Al Amiri noted that misleading rumours can stop patients from taking medicines or change doses without resorting to health care practitioners, thus affecting the UAE medicine system and defame medicines being used in the country.
He urged the public not to spread false rumours coming from inside or outside the country on social media and to refer to the ministry in any matter related to medicines.
Al Amiri said that all those who spread false rumours will be held legally accountable as such activity could compromise health and pharmacological security in the country.
