Glaxo clarifies ....

With reference to our report titled ‘Mother died after childbirth due to low quality medicine - Doctor’ on the front page of the Daily Mirror March 02, 2012, the Glaxo Wellcome Ceylon Limited has sent the following letter.

“In the continuation of the report on Page 6, a doctor is quoted to the effect that the patient had been given the antibiotic Augmentin, and that the patient could not be cured due to low quality drugs.

Augmentin is the original GSK brand name for coamoxiclav. Therefore, we have inquired into this matter and established that the patient concerned had not been given Augmentin, but a generic version of coamoxiclav. This has been confirmed to GSK by the Director of the De Zoysa Hospital for Women. A copy of the Director’s letter to GSK is attached for your reference.

As you can imagine, the incorrect reference to Augmentin in connection with this incident has already caused serious damage to the reputation of GSK and its original brand Augmentin. We therefore request you to inform your readers at the earliest opportunity that the antibiotic Augmentin had not been administered to the patient.

We also request you to instruct your staff who may be producing follow-up reports on this unfortunate incident, to refrain from repeating the incorrect reference to Augmentin in such reports.”

In the continuation of the report on Page 6, a doctor is quoted to the effect that the patient had been given the antibiotic Augmentin, and that the patient could not be cured due to low quality drugs