Painkiller sales suspended

Johannesburg - Healthcare company Adcock Ingram Holdings [JSE:AIP] on Friday confirmed that it had suspended promotion and sales of its dextropropoxyphene (DPP)-containing medicines in SA.

Shares of the drugmaker tumbled 2.3% to R64.98 after it said South Africa would ban drugs containing the pain-killer dextropropoxyphene, or DPP, on safety concerns.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) withdrew DPP from the US market on November 19, after the FDA determined that the benefits of DPP for pain relief at US recommended doses outweighed the safety risk and as such the regulator requested that suppliers voluntarily withdraw any drugs containing DPP from the US market.

According to media reports, new research showed the drug was linked to serious abnormal heart rhythms.

In June 2009, the propoxyphene-containing products were banned in the European Union because of fatal overdoses. The UK banned it in 2005.

DPP is a compound with pain-relieving properties that is found in three of Adcock Ingram's drugs - Synap Forte, Lentogesic and Doxyfene, the group said.

Synap Forte is a popular medicine to relieve pain, particularly after operations and for back pain.

Following the FDA announcement, Adcock Ingram said it engaged in discussions with the Medicines Control Council (MCC) of the department of health relating to the implications of the US data to patient safety in South Africa.

"Adcock Ingram has now become aware that the MCC has resolved, inter alia, that all DPP containing medicines be withdrawn from the South African market," it said.

Adcock Ingram noted that its drugs containing DPP contributed approximately R200m to its revenue for the financial year ended September 30 2010.

"Adcock Ingram has not, as yet, received any formal communication from the MCC regarding withdrawal of its DPP containing medicines," it said.

Be safe this Christmas

There is generally a lot of work that has to be done on time for Christmas, with pressure to get jobs finished before the break.

Whatever the situation, work has to be well-planned so safety is a priority.

There's not much difference between the incident that kills and the one from which people walk away saying, ‘that was close’.

Only this month, a man received dreadful burns when working on an advertising board, and another lost a finger and had two others badly cut while using a power saw.

It’s a busy time for everyone, but now is the time to ensure safe systems are in place for all your workers – new or old, experienced and beginners.

Getting on top of training and supervision issues, making sure shortcuts aren’t encouraged or taken, is important, so is making sure people have the right equipment to do their job safely.

Planning the work, letting someone know where you are and having some means of communication in case something happens could save your life.

Remember:

• plan your work and ensure workers are properly trained and supervised

• apply all safety measures, particularly if you’re working at height

• if you’re not sure, ask your Health and Safety representative

• understand the equipment you’re using and use it correctly – particularly if it has been hired and you are unfamiliar with it. Companies hiring equipment are required to provide training or instructions

• if you are working on your own, keep your phone on you in case you need to call for help

• make sure someone knows where you are and when you’ll be home.