The Ministry of Health and Medical Services wishes to advise pharmacies, importers, and wholesalers of medicine and members of the public that the anti-allergy syrup known as Alergo Cetirizine is contaminated and should not be consumed.

According to the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, the contaminated medication was identified in the Maldives and has also been distributed in Laos and Belize.

The active ingredient of Alergo Cetirizine is Cetrizine Di-HCI which is an antihistamine. Antihistamine medicines block the effects of a substance called histamine in the body which may cause harmful effects to users.

The Fiji Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Services (FPBS) cannot confirm at this stage the pharmaceutical companies that have imported the medicinal product into Fiji, and advise members of the public to be vigilant on this matter.

The medicinal product comes in 120ml bottles and each 5ml of syrup contains 5mg of antihistamine.

The Alergo Cetirizine syrup is considered to be toxic to humans when consumed and proves fatal, especially in children.

Toxic effects can include; abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury which may lead to death.

If you have used this medication and show signs of these symptoms, please seek medical advice and report your use of the medicine to the attending medical officer.

Pharmacists around the country are also urged not to dispense, distribute, or sell this product and to immediately notify the Medicines Regulatory Authority if the product is in your possession.

The Ministry of Health also wishes to advise healthcare professionals to report any suspicious cases or symptoms linked to the consumption of this contaminated medication.