Augmentin syrup is safe: health ministry

The health ministry dismissed rumors that Augmentin syrup, an antibiotic medicine for children, contains health hazards following its withdrawal from some Asian markets last year, saying the drug is completely safe.

Assistant undersecretary for medical practice and licensing Dr Amin Al Amiri said he was reacting to recent rumors circulated through smart phones in the UAE and other countries in the region that Augmentin is not safe.

“These rumors are not true.…Augmentin for children is totally safe and there have been no official warnings about this medicine,” he said, quoted by the Dubai-based Arabic language daily Emirat Alyoum.

Amiri said the rumors followed the withdrawal of Augmentin bottles in some Asian countries last year after doctors noticed users suffered from nausea.

“But it turned out that the reason for the bad smell was because of the interaction of the lining of the plastic bottle with its contents…health officials found that there was no problem with the medicine itself.”

Amiri said those bottles were withdrawn by the company and that they have not entered the UAE and other Gulf countries, adding that Augmentin syrup in the UAE is being sold in glass not plastic bottles.

“The messages circulated on mobile phones about this medicine contain misinformation and are not based on any circular issued by the ministry.”

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