Antibiotic syrup for children declared safe

An antibiotic syrup sold in the country to treat infections in children is safe and is not from the same batch that was recalled in Hong Kong, the Ministry of Health announced Wednesday. Augmentin (165 mg) is safe and does not contain any hazardous chemicals, said Dr Ameen Al Ameeri, assistant undersecretary for medical practices and licensing at the ministry, reassuring consumers. A representative from Glaxo Smith Kline, manufacturers of the drug, also noted that the batch made available in the country is from Saudi Arabia and is different from the batch recalled in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The recalled drugs were originally imported from France, he said. Batches of the drug were recalled in the Hong Kong and Taiwan as they were said to contain an unsafe chemical additive, known as diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) which could induce adverse side-effects in children. The news scared parents across the Gulf but the GCC has checked the batch number available across the region, said a release from the Ministry of Health. Pharmacies across the region said that the Augmentine syrup batch in the Gulf States comes from Britain. The Ministry of Health closely monitors the situation regarding drug safety through continuous cooperation with the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency. From / Gulf News