Cloxacillin injection no more in use

Nadira Gunatilleke

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena ordered Cosmetic Devices and Drugs Control Authority (CDDA) to remove the injection Cloxacillin from use in Sri Lanka. The report on the contaminated injection vial is to be handed over to the Indian government under the direction of Minister Sirisena, a Health Ministry spokesperson said.

According to the spokesperson, CDDA has already commenced a full investigation into the incident which occurred at Colombo South Teaching Hospital recently where a piece of glass was found in an injection vial of Cloxacillin imported from India. It was produced by Biochem Pharmaceutical Industries, India. If products of one company record over ten issues within three years, the company will be blacklisted by the Health Ministry thereafter.

Minister Sirisena also ordered health officials to amend the current tender procedure enabling the Health Ministry to claim 100 percent of the money paid to any company when quality failures occur. Minister Sirisena held discussions with the Indian Health Minister and all relevant sectors in connection with drugs imported from Indian drug companies.

The Indian Health Minister informed Minister Sirisena to report all issues to him over the telephone, the spokesperson said.

As soon as the incident was reported, Minister Sirisena immediately ordered health officials to temporarily suspend the use of the drug and call explanations from the company which supplied it and make arrangements to replace the affected stock with a fresh stock or claim money paid for the contaminated stock.