Drug Contamination: Recall of Antihypertensive Drugs Contaminated Before Completion – Knowledge

Since last week, a reminder for some antihypertensive drugs with the active ingredient valsartan. Doctors and authorities now recommend changing patients to safe drugs. Individuals should consult their doctor or pharmacist, which funds are affected by the recall, recommends the Federal Institute of Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) in Bonn. If necessary, they could then switch to another drug containing valsartan

Do not interrupt treatment

A spokesman for the institute said that drugs should in no way be discontinued without consulting the doctor. The health risk of such abandonment is many times greater than the potential risk of contamination. There is no acute risk for the patient.

Earlier this month, the institute announced that some drugs could be contaminated with the potentially carcinogenic substance NDMA. These were lots of drugs, the active ingredient of which was produced by the Chinese company Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical. According to the pharmacist badociation Rhineland-Palatinate, the recall relates to drugs in different doses and packaging of about twenty manufacturers

According to the League of High Pressure in Germany, 20 to 30 million people Hypertension affected . The consequences can be fatal, including heart attacks and strokes.

It is not known if NDMA is dangerous to humans

Patients who have been prescribed drugs containing contaminated lots must re-prescribe appropriate therapy. A simple exchange at the pharmacy is not possible. A new additional payment may also be due. However, the individual health insurance funds have reported to pay them back. In this regard, patients should contact their health insurance fund.

NDMA is N nitrosodimethylamine, better known in Germany as dimethylnitrosamine (DMN). It also occurs in everyday foods like salted meat. Some alcoholic beverages also contain the substance, just like cigarette smoke. As a carcinogen, it is detected only in rodents in laboratory experiments. It is unclear whether it is dangerous for humans in doses such as they have been in contaminated drugs. In humans, it is likely to be at least partially different and potentially less dangerous in metabolism than rodents. The recall is therefore a pure security measure. (with dpa material)