Seven of the 12 Remedica products hit by a voluntary recall have no alternative available on prescription containing the same active substance, the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) said on Wednesday, as it issued guidance to patients, doctors and GHS pharmacies.
Patients taking any affected medicine should contact their treating doctor so their treatment can be changed over safely, the HIO said. Switching to a drug with a different active substance is not a straightforward swap at the pharmacy counter, it said, and requires a fresh medical assessment and appropriate prescribing.
Where nothing equivalent exists
The seven products with no same-substance alternative are Clonotril 0.5mg and 2mg (clonazepam), Cloxacillin 250mg and 500mg (cloxacillin), Hydralazine 25mg (hydralazine), Epsitron 25mg (captopril) and Methyldopa 250mg (methyldopa).
For most of these, drugs with a different active substance from the same pharmacological class are available. That applies to clonotril, cloxacillin and epsitron.
For Hydralazine 25mg and Methyldopa 250mg there is nothing available at all, the HIO said, not even a different active substance from the same class.
The organisation said it will work through the Health Ministry’s Purchasing and Supplies Directorate to find and procure alternative products.
Where alternatives exist
Five products have alternatives containing the same active substance, according to the HIO.
A replacement carbimazole 5mg product has already been secured for Carbimazole 5mg and will be available from August 13, distributed by Marathon Distributors.
For Carvidex 25mg, the listed carvedilol 25mg option is Bicol 25mg. For Remycin 100mg tablets, the doxycycline 100mg options are Doxat 100mg tablets, Medomycin 100mg capsules and Remycin 100mg capsules. For Lorivan 1mg, the lorazepam 1mg option is Lorans 1mg. For Bralix 5mg/2.5mg, the option containing chlordiazepoxide 5mg and clidinium bromide 2.5mg is Librax 5mg/2.5mg.
Even where the active substance is identical, patients should not pick a product themselves, the HIO said. Any substitution has to follow a doctor’s or pharmacist’s instructions and GHS procedures.
Pharmacies and returns
The HIO has asked pharmacies to check their stock and make sure affected products are not dispensed to beneficiaries. For batch numbers and the returns procedure, it referred pharmacies to Remedica’s own announcements.
Patients holding affected products should return them to their local pharmacy, following the company’s instructions.
