China's State Drug Administration (SDA) November 16 ordered hospitals and drug sale outlets nationwide to stop issue patients medicine that contains PPA ingredients, including the popular Contac brand.
In an emergency circular, the drug authority warns that taking of the PPA-rich (phenylpropanolamine) medicine, selling well in Chinese drugstores as prescription for cold, could result in serious side-effects.
A series of tests done by the labs affiliated to the drug administration manifest that dole of Contac and other medicine containing PPA will result in illnesses including hyper-susceptibility, arrhythmia, hypertension, kidney failure and insomnia.
The prohibited medicine covers 15 varieties, including "Contac", the commonly-used brand of medicine for cold treatment in China.
The notice issued on Thursday demands all medicine regulatory departments in provinces and autonomous regions across the country take strict measures to crack down on sales of medicine containing PPA.
On Wednesday, the united States Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a public health advisory, suggesting all US drug companies stop marketing medicine containing PPA, and recommending American citizens to stop using them, including Contac.
(People’s Daily 11/17/2000)
