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Banned cough syrup still selling in local market

A cough medicine is still on the market shelves here in the local market despite a ban imposed by health authorities on the drug for fear of potential heart problems.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) have issued a circular banning the sale of medicines that contain Clobutinol Hydrochloride substance following reports of potential cardiac problems linked with the substance.

However, some pharmacies in the country are still selling a cough suppressant known as Orcinol. The medication, which contains the banned substance is registered with the MoH as an over-the-counter (OTC) medication.

Some pharmacies in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the Northern Emirates sell the cough syrup for Dh10 and seemed to have no clue about the recall decision. “We sell Orcinol without prescription to consumers. We haven’t yet received any circular from the MoH banning the drug. Even the distributing company had not informed us about the health authorities’ decision,” a pharmacist at a private pharmacy told this reporter.

Another pharmacist said: “We haven’t got any order from health authorities to withdraw the drug. We came to know of the decision from the newspapers only.”

When contacted, an official source at the Central Drug Control Department in the MoH said all pharmacies must abide by the ban in order to protect public health.

“The circular was sent to all private pharmacies and public medical stores on October 7. Pharmacists who sell any banned product will be subject to penalties stipulated by the Federal Pharmacy Law,” warned the official.