The Health Ministry today said that all cough syrups containing Dextromethorphan have been temporarily suspended from usage with immediate effect, following an alert from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The decision to suspend usage of the syrups was taken as a precautionary step, the Director of the Cosmetics, Devices & Drugs Regulatory Authority, Dr. Hemantha Benaragama said.
Dextromethorphan (DXM) is a cough suppressant drug used as an active ingredient in many over-the-counter cold and cough medicines manufactured in Pakistan.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has found toxic ‘levomethorphan’ in the raw material imported from India and released a report warning countries regarding the cough syrups.
Based on these findings the Ministry of Health has decided to temporarily suspend the usage of the any cough syrups laced with Dextromethorphan.
In its preliminary findings, WHO authorities maintained that the raw material used in the cough syrups Tyno and Dextromethorphan includes 22 percent and 11 percent “lethal” levomethorphan content respectively.
The matter surfaced after around 20 people died after allegedly consuming Tyno syrup in Lahore, Pakistan.
Days later the incident was repeated in Gujranwala where more than 30 people lost their lives after consuming another cough syrup Dextromethorphan.
