KUALA LUMPUR – Johor’s Forest City has lodged a police report regarding the over-the-counter sale of an antibiotic with potentially adverse effects without a prescription, at a grocery store operating in its development.
In a response to Scoop, Forest City developer Country Garden Pacificview Sdn Bhd regional vice president Ir Syarul Izam Sarifudin said that the company will not tolerate any “hanky-panky” and illegal activities.
“With regard to the controlled antibiotic sold by one of the shop owners on our commercial street, the company understands that the public is of the opinion that Forest City should bear a sense of responsibility towards the incident.
“The company has taken the necessary action to expedite enforcement. Our auxiliary police were informed and a police report was lodged,” Syarul said.
He added that the police report will allow authorities to manage the issue, while merchants operating in Forest City are reminded to run their businesses according to local laws and regulations.
“The company will not hesitate to cooperate with authorities to sort this matter according to legal provisions.”
Earlier today, it was reported that azithromycin, an antibiotic normally used to treat ailments such as pneumonia, lyme disease, sinus and sexually transmitted infections, was allegedly up for sale at a mere RM15 without a prescription in a Forest City grocery store.
The matter was brought to light yesterday by X user @fiholicMD, who also shared an image of the medication packaged in boxes of 12 tablets each by a company known as Sichuan Medco Pharmaceutical Stock Co Ltd.
The product packaging as well as the price display are in Chinese.
Syarul also said Forest City staff were not equipped with the necessary “pharmaceutical knowledge” to recognise the issue.
“It must be understood that Forest City is a developer. The company builds and provides businesses and retail space to merchants.
“An extensive understanding (of) medicines and its regulations is a niche expertise possessed by pharmaceutical practitioners. That is why nobody was aware of the item and how sensitive the issue is.”
In a 2018 article directed at healthcare professionals, the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) said that all products containing azithromycin, clarithromycin, erythromycin and roxithromycin are required to display on its packaging potential health risks associated with the substances.
This came after the NPRA, an agency under the Health Ministry, received information from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on the risk of severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCAR), including acute generalised exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP), from the medications.
The article also pointed to a directive issued by the NPRA in July 2018, in which the Pharmacy Services senior director agreed to include safety information regarding SCAR on products that contain azithromycin and several other medications.
Following concerns raised online regarding the issue, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said in a tweet late last night that the Pharmacy Division has to take “more aggressive measures promptly.” – December 29, 2023