Wang Yuanyuan
A PRESCRIPTION medicine for children with fever, which was reported to have strong side effects, was still being sold at city drug stores because the drug administration had not banned sales.
The stores said they had been selling the drug for years and hardly received any complaints. They said Saturday they would remove the drug from the shelves only if told to do so by the drug administration.
We learned from the TV several days ago that the drug could cause cancer and just removed the drug from the front shelves. We will stop selling it only if the authority tells us, Chen Zhiyun, a Naber Drug Store manager in Luohu District, said.
The administration said Friday there had been no word about the ban from upper levels in the city, but they were now collecting reports of strong side effects from the drug and would announce the results soon. Measures would be taken immediately after the expert team from the provincial drug administration decided to ban it after the investigation.
China Central Television (CCTV) reported Wednesday that the drug could harm children s blood system and liver and could cause cancer or even death if using excessively.
CCTV reported that experts at the Beijing-based International Forum on Children s Drug Safety said last year that several thousand cases of dangerous side effects were reported, including fatalities. The drug was introduced into the Chinese market six years ago.
It had never been approved for the treatment of children in the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, CCTV said.
It also said that many parents could easily buy the drug without a prescription and give it to their children to control fever.
The State Food and Drug Administration said Saturday it had not received reports of harmful side effects and would further investigate.
Although there is no conclusion by the national authority yet, it is still a risk to give it to children without a prescription. Even though the side effect might not be as serious as CCTV reported, it could still harm children s blood system and liver. It s not worth the risk, said Xu Pengfei, an official from of city s administration.
