Kuwait stops trading in Ranitidine medicines, Zantac

Patients urged to ask doctors’ for prescribing alternative medicines

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 28, (KUNA): The Ministry of Health is withdrawing and suspending trade in Ranitidine medicines namely Zantac that treat excessive stomach acid.

Dr Abdullah Al-Badr, the assistant undersecretary for medicine and food supervision at the MoH, said in a statement on Thursday that the decision to pull the drugs from the market was made upon preliminary tests conducted at the department laboratories, reports by American and European authorities.

Health authorities in other countries are currently trying to determine safe levels of the ingredient NDMA, included in food and some medical drugs, he said.

He urged patients to seek their doctors’ help for prescribing alternative medicines.

Meanwhile, on the recommendation of the Assistant Undersecretary for Drug and Food Control Affairs, and in public interest Minister of Health Dr Bassel Al-Sabah has issued a decision requiring physicians to include all information about the medicine and patient data, the most important of which is the patient’s first, second and family name, civil ID number when issuing a prescription, reports Al-Anba daily. Prescriptions also shall include the passport number for visiting patients.

Acting Chief Executive Officer of Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC) Hatem Al-Awadi issued a circular on the formation of Parliamentary Audit Team affiliated to the Administrative Support Group with Ziad Al-Yassin as the team leader, reports Al-Rai daily.

The circular indicated Wafa Al-Othman has been promoted to supervisor of the Strategic Planning Team at Petrochemicals and Liquefied Gas Group.

Meanwhile, KIPIC has signed three contracts; the first contract is with a financial consultant who will manage the petrochemicals complex loan in Al-Zour alongside the National Investment Company, and the second contract signed with Arabi Company entails the provision of mechanical services for Al-Zour refinery, while the third contract is with Nasser Mohammed Bedah who will ensure quality control services in Al-Zour refinery.