IPOH: Patients who are currently taking high blood pressure medication that contain higher than acceptable amounts of nitrosamine impurity which can potentially cause cancer, should not panic.
They are urged to return the affected medicines to the suppliers.
Deputy Health Minister, Dr Lee Boon Chye said the ministry had already ordered companies that sell a product containing losartan to discontinue selling and supplying the items but he believed that there were other patients who still have these medicines in stock.
"The substance in the Losartan medicine does not have immediate side effects but patients who still have these medicine should return it to the supplier and do not panic.
"The ministry has actually recalled all these medicines and according to our records, this kind of medicine is no longer in the market unless there are patients who are still keeping them," he said at a press conference after launching the state-level World Kidney Day at the Casuarina @ Meru Hotel, here, today.
Dr Lee added that the medicine should be handed over to the suppliers so that patients could get replacements.
"The ministry is always randomly monitoring medicines that are sold in the market and we are also working together with several foreign agencies to share information about medicines and so on," he added.
The Health Ministry in a statement yesterday said the Drug Control Authority has suspended the registration of seven drug products that contain losartan active ingredients beginning March 7.
The products are LOSAGEN 50 (Losartan Potassium Tablets 50mg); LOSAGEN 100 (Losartan Potassium Tablets 100 Mg); Losartas 50mg Tablets (Losartan Potassium Tablets 50mg); Losartas 50mg Tablets (Losartan Potassium Tablets 50mg).