In recent days, the Main Pharmaceutical Inspector banned the sale of over 60 series of drugs for hypertension containing contaminated Chinese valsartanum. Meanwhile, patients who regularly take medications withdrawn from pharmacies may be as much as 400. Doctors warn that sudden discontinuation of these drugs can be dangerous and even lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Cardiologist prof. Piotr Jankowski from the Institute of Cardiology of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow emphasizes that patients who use the preparation covered by the withdrawal decision should not stop taking it until the doctor prescribes another drug. – It should be remembered that in a patient with arterial hypertension, sudden discontinuation of the drug may risk such serious complications as a heart attack or stroke – says the specialist. Therefore, using the withdrawn drug for the next two or three is likely to be less dangerous than abrupt discontinuation of therapy.
However, patients should see their primary care physician or their cardiologist as soon as possible in order to switch to another drug. – The easiest and fastest solution is to switch to another preparation containing valsartan that has not been withdrawn – emphasizes prof. Jankowski. This can also be done by a primary health care physician. Such a change can also be made by a pharmacist in a pharmacy – provided that the patient has a current prescription.
The cardiologist emphasizes that there is a group of valsartan preparations on the market that GIF has not withdrawn. These are among others:
Valzek
Valsartan Genoptim
Apo-Valsart
Discuss
Co-Bespres
Diovan,
Co-Diovan
Valsacor
Co-Valsacor
Valsartan 123-ratio
There are also preparations containing other active substances from the group of sartans, as well as numerous drugs that lower blood pressure (hypotensive drugs) with a completely different mechanism of action.
Check which drugs were eventually withdrawn from sale
According to prof. Jankowski, the replacement of the drug with a preparation from a different group of antihypertensive drugs should be performed by the patient’s cardiologist. – The patient may react differently to a new active substance and side effects may appear – he emphasized.
The Main Pharmaceutical Inspector withdrew from sale a series of medicinal products containing in their composition the contaminated active substance valsartanum, produced by the Chinese manufacturer. The GIF decision is the result of a recommendation from the European Medicines Agency. The Agency is currently assessing the health effects of the use of contaminated valsartanum products with EU Member States.
All decisions on withdrawing medicinal products from the market are published on the website of the Main Pharmaceutical Inspectorate in the “Decisions and notices” tab.
Comp. based on PAP