The media with metformin used in diabetes became famous after the December article in Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, which reported on the contamination of the active substance used in drugs with N-nitrosodimethylamine. GIF and the Ministry of Health have ordered a control of these drugs.
Prolongation of drug control with metformin
After the December article by Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, which revealed that diabetes drugs containing the active substance metformin may be contaminated with carcinogenic N-nitrosodimethylamine, the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate issued a statement in which it obliges entities responsible for the distribution of metformin drugs in Poland to be inspected. Initially, the inspection was due to end on January 15, 2020, but was extended to January 31.
The effects were to be presented after the end of the inspection, but the latest announcement from the Ministry of Health states that data on this issue are still flowing in. We would like to remind you that after the confusion in December, the Main Pharmaceutical Inspectorate did not issue a decision to suspend or withdraw any of the drugs containing metformin.
We can also learn from the announcement that, at the request of the Main Pharmaceutical Inspectorate, the National Medicines Institute conducts its own research on trials of medicinal products containing metformin.
Contamination of drugs with metformin
We informed about the contamination of drugs with metformin in early December. The Ministry of Health has received information from the European Medicines Agency that contamination of drugs with metformin has been detected in foreign laboratories. The active substance was supposed to be contaminated with N-nitrodimethylamine (NDMA), which is the same substance as valsartan, used in antihypertensive medications.
The Minister of Health, Łukasz Szumowski, noted then that neither the European nor Polish agencies had any data that preparations containing metformin should be withdrawn from the market. Instead, it announced an inspection that is still ongoing, according to reports.
More about drugs with metformin:
- How many drugs with metformin are sold in Poland?
- What might be the risk of stopping metformin use?
- Contaminated diabetes medications. The ministry has convened a crisis management team
- Contaminated medicine – what does it mean? The pharmacist explains
The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website.