Health Canada orders pharmacies to remove dangerous products
Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Nov 10/00) - Yellowknife pharmacies were busy earlier this week removing 49 products that contain phenylpropanolamine, a common ingredient in both prescription and non-prescription nasal products. Health Canada says the products have been linked to stroke.
If you have any medicine containing phenylpropanolamine, don't take it, Health Canada warns.
Health Canada has issued an advisory concerning phenylpropanolamine and the possibility of hemorrhagic stroke.
It's used as a nasal decongestant in prescription and non-prescription cough and cold, sinus and some combination allergy medications.
The risk of hemorrhagic stroke is low but because of the seriousness of a stroke, and the inability to predict who is at risk, Health Canada issued the recall.
It followed the US Food and Drug Administration in issuing a public advisory recommending consumers not use any products containing the drug.
Only one case of hemorrhagic stroke associated with the drug has been reported to the Canadian Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Programme over the last 20 years.
In the U.S., a link between the drug and hemorrhagic stroke has been suspected. Many affected were young women using the drug as an appetite suppressant.
The drug has not been approved for use as an appetite suppressant or weight-loss product in Canada, said Health Canada.
Phenylpropanolamine products for use as a diet aid have never been on the Canadian market, according to the Canadian Pharmacy Association.
The association has identified 49 products containing the drug which are available in Canada.
And, the association says, the list is incomplete.
Sutherland's pharmacist-manager Stephen Gwilliam says if people have any doubt about whether or not the products they have contain the drug, they should bring it to a pharmacist and ask.
"We're happy to do it," he said.
"None (of the products with the drug) are currently on the shelves because we've removed them all," Gwilliam said.
Spokespersons for Wal-Mart and Extra Foods also said they had removed products containing phenylpropanolamine, from their shelves.
Daryl Dolynny, pharmacist-owner at Shoppers Drug Mart, said if people find they are in possession of a medicine which contains phenylpropanolamine, they should bring the product in for a refund -- whether it has been opened or not.
"We've got direction to send it back to the manufacturer.
And if you're wondering what to use instead, Dolynny says there are lots of over-the-counter products that do not contain phenylpropanolamine.
Ask your pharmacist.
