The sale of cetirizine syrup for cold and cold has been banned in the country with findings of the presence of a chemical substance in it.
In a statement, the MFDA said that the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an alert for the presence of chemical substances such as diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol in the medicine which has been used since October 2022 for cough and fever.
The Maldives is also conducting random sampling and screening, but since it is not possible to conduct the test in the country, it has been sent abroad for testing.
So far this year, 10 samples have been collected and screened in the market and the presence of the chemical has been confirmed in the B220 batch of cetirizine manufactured by Pakistan's Pharmix Laboratory, the MFDA said.
"Therefore, as per the policy laid down by this Authority, it is prohibited to import, sell and use this brand until the results of these tests are obtained and the safety of the drug is ensured," the MFDA said in a statement.
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