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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
In response to the announcement by the Department of Health tonight (March 6) on the immediate suspension of Allopurinol 100mg manufactured by EuroPharm due to contamination, the spokesman for the Hospital Authority (HA) issued the following statement:
The HA has already informed all public hospitals and out-patient clinics to suspend the dispensing of the concerned drug Allopurinol 100mg with immediate effect. At the same time, alternative source of supplies of 1,450,000 tablets have already been secured which will be delivered in batches starting from tonight.
According to the patient records of HA, there are currently 230 high risk patients who are immuno-compromised leukaemia and lymphoma patients, will be contacted by the respective hospitals tomorrow (March 7) for the arrangement of replacing the concerned drug. The patients' clinical condition will be closely monitored.
Furthermore, there are some other 40,000 general patients with gout or hyperuricemia who are also currently taking the medication. The HA will arrange for replacement of the concerned drug for the patients from this Sunday (March 8) at the pharmacy of the following 15 public hospitals:
Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital
Caritas Medical Centre
Kwong Wah Hospital
North District Hospital
Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital
Princess Margaret Hospital
Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital
Prince of Wales Hospital
Pok Oi Hospital
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Queen Mary Hospital
Tseung Kwan O Hospital
Tuen Mun Hospital
United Christian Hospital
Yan Chai Hospital
The drug replacement service will be available since this Sunday and will last for two weeks. The operating hours is from 9:00am to 7:00pm on weekdays in the subsequent two weeks. The replacement is only required for those patients who have been dispensed with the concerned drug as clearly labeled with ¡§ALLOPURINOL 100MG¡¨.
A hotline 2125 1122 has been jointly set up and operated by the Department of Health and HA to take enquiries from the public and the patients concerned.
Ends/Friday, March 6, 2009
Issued at HKT 22:41
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