KUALA LUMPUR, 21 March 2023:

After the Drug Control Authority under the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MoH) issued a circular yesterday on the cancellation and product recall of pholcodine, Alpro Pharmacy is conducting an outreach to customers who have obtained this product.

In a statement, the pharmacy sais pholcodine is an opioid medicine used by adults and children for the treatment of non-productive (dry) cough and, in combination with other active substances, for the treatment of symptoms of cold and flu.

“The reason for the recall is the possible drug interaction with neuromuscular blocking agent – commonly used as part of the regime in general anaesthesia during medical surgery, causing anaphylaxis if the patient took pholcodine containing products in the past 12 months.”

Describing anaphylaxis as being a serious, life-threatening allergic reaction, Alpro Pharmacy is proactively informing and advising:

• For consumers who have purchased the medication, and have not consumed it, they can bring it back to the pharmacy or healthcare facility that supplied the medication,
• For consumers who have used pholcodine medicine in the past 12 months, they are encouraged to visit their nearest community pharmacy to prepare a medication list for them to show to their surgeon or doctor when surgery is required, and
• If consumer is not sure if the medicine they took or are taking contains pholcodine, they can walk-in to the nearest community pharmacy or contact Alpro ePharmacy service for further consultation.

“Alternative dry cough medication is available in the market, the public is welcome to visit any Alpro Pharmacy outlets or speak to our professional pharmacists via the ePharmacy WhatsApp hotline at 019-702 1923, and our community pharmacist can recommend a suitable medication based on patient’s health condition.”