Thailand: Investigations into defective paracetamol concluded
BANGKOK, 28 October 2009 (NNT) – Investigations have concluded that the defective paracetamol, which was found to contain a piece of metal wire, is caused by a flawed production process. The manufacturer will be fined 4,000 – 10,000 baht as it failed to meet the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standard. The primary recall has already cost one million baht.
The Public Health Minister, Mr Witthaya Kaewparadai, said that the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) report revealed that the wire scrap found the in the drug was part of the sieve. The manufacturer, Osot Inter Laboratories Company, which is a GPO’s subcontract, will be fined as it failed to follow the GMP, and the pharmacist in charge will be fine 2,000 – 5,000 baht too. He added that the incident was the first ever found, and the Ministry has not received anymore complaints after the recollection. GPO has been assigned to take care of the damage any person receives from taking the drug and also given a full authority to sue the manufacturer if needed. 
MD Vithit Athavejkul, GPO Director, said that the state enterprise would wait for the final investigation report before asking the GPO’s legal office to consider legal action against the factory which is held responsible for the cost of drug recall. Preliminary damage is estimated at one million baht.
As for impacts on the sale of paracetamol, MD Vithit said it was too early to confirm but believed it would not be much affected because paracetamol is a kind of fundamental drugs used in every household.
