Mylan clarification
May 31, 2010
ALPHAPHARM says the recall of
Pacific Atenolol by its sister
company Mylan NZ (PD Fri) was
initiated by the company, rather
than being ordered by NZ regulator
Medsafe, after “a small number of
tablets were found to be larger or
smaller than specified”.
The advice from Medsafe was
that patients should continue to
take the medicine until they could
obtain replacement tablets, and in
the meantime “they should not take
a larger or smaller tablet if one is
found”.
The Mylan-marketed product,
manufactured by IPCA Laboratories
Limited, is the only brand of
atenolol on the market in New
Zealand, with the company working
with Medsafe to urgently obtain an
alternative supply of approved
product from its US operation.
The replacement atenolol tablets
are manufactured by Mylan in the
US where they have been marketed
for over 15 years, and pharmacies
across NZ were provided with
replacement stock via urgent
courier delivery by cob last Friday
MEANWHILE the Pharmacy
Council of New Zealand has
backed calls by the NZ Guild for
pharmacists to be remunerated for
their work in undertaking the
atenolol recall.
Council Chair, Carolyn Oakley-
Brown, said that while the overriding
concern must be patient safety,
recalls impose a considerable
burden on pharmacists who should
receive “adequate financial
compensation for their input”.
NZ Guild ceo Annabel Young
said the support from the Council
reaffirms the Guild’s view that
“clear procedures are needed to
manage recalls”.
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