23 more stomach medications to be recalled
2015/04/18 17:48:35
Taipei, April 18 (CNA) Another 23 stomach medications produced by 19 pharmaceutical companies in Taiwan have been found to be made of food-grade instead of pharmaceutical-grade ingredients, the country's food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Saturday.
The companies are required to remove the products from store shelves by midnight April 22 and complete recalling the products within 30 days, the FDA said.
All of the affected medicines contain food-grade magnesium carbonate or calcium carbonate as their main ingredients, which could reduce their efficacy.
When magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate are used as the major ingredients in pharmaceutical products, those two compounds must be of pharmaceutical grade, which requires a certificate from their suppliers, the FDA explained.
The companies will be fined between NT$60,000 (US$1,920) and NT$300,000 according to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, the FDA said.
Earlier this month, the FDA began inspecting pharmaceutical companies in the wake of reports that some of them were using magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate intended for industrial purposes only.
Magnesium carbonate is widely marketed as a health supplement and is also used to make medicines for stomach ailments. Its active ingredient, magnesium, is a mineral required for efficient functioning of the human body.
(By Chen Ching-fang and Y.F. Low)
