Vol. 398 No. 10
206 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the action taken by the National Drugs Advisory Board against Clonmel Chemicals Company when drug substitutes were found in packets of Cimeldine; if a public warning was issued; and the preventative measures which have been put in place to avoid a recurrence.
Following notification by a hospital pharmacist that a placebo tablet composed of starch and lactose had been found in a pack of 50 tablets of Cimeldine 200 mg, the National Drugs Advisory Board immediately contacted the company — Clonmel Chemicals Limited — in the matter.
Consultations were held with senior company representatives to establish the precise procedures which led to the defect and to ensure that safeguards were put in place by the company which would prevent a re-occurrence of the problem. All batches of Cimeldine in which a similar procedure had been used were recalled.
