Polish drug company Jelfa ordered to shut-down over mislabelled drugs
{{date|November 8, 2006}} 

Polish Prime Minister [[w:Jarosław Kaczyński|Jarosław Kaczyński]] has ordered the pharmaceutical company Jelfa to halt production following revelations that Jelfa had placed mislabelled medication on the market, whose use could be potentially fatal. 

Jelfa distributed vials labelled as Corhydron, a [[w:Hydrocortisone|hydrocortisone]] used to treat allergies and inflammation, but in fact containing Suxamethonium chloride, a drug normally used to cause muscle paralysis during emergency surgery. 

The Health Ministry has appealed to people suffering from asthma or allergies to check their medication and return any Corhydron ampoules they possess to the pharmacy.

<span class="plainlinks">[http://www.polskieradio.pl Polskie Radio]</span> reports that the mislabelling was discovered a month ago, but Jelfa and the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.mz.gov.pl Polish Health ministry]</span> did not inform of the problem. 

Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski ordered Jelfa to halt production until it can assure the Polish Government that it can properly manage its production. 

The ''<span class="plainlinks">[http://www.masterpage.com.pl/outlook/ Polish Outlook]</span>'' reports that that drug companies in Poland were operating unregulated since December, 2005 as the regulations has expired. The government was putting in place new regulations.

The owner of Jelfa is AB Sanitas, the largest drug producer in neighbouring Lithuania. The shut-down has been questioned by the  [[w:Prime Minister of Lithuania|Lithuanian Prime Minister]] [[w:Gediminas Kirkilas|Gediminas Kirkilas]], who expressed concern over the situation and said that he wants to try to settle the issue diplomatically.  

== Sources ==

*{{source|url=http://www.todayonline.com/articles/153462.asp
|title=Polish pharma group shut down after drug mix-up
|author=
|pub=Today Online
|date=November 12, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.masterpage.com.pl/outlook/200611/drugcoverup.html
|title=Polish Drug Companies operated unregulated
|author=
|pub=The Polish Outlook
|date=November 12, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.todayonline.com/articles/153915.asp
|title=Lithuanian PM questions Poland's shut down of drug company
|author=
|pub=Today Online
|date=November 11, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.polskieradio.pl/polonia/article.asp?tId=44415&j=2|title=Killer Vials|author=Polskie Radio|pub=Radio Polonia|date=November 11, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.radio.com.pl/polonia/article.asp?tId=44346
|title=Lethal substance packaged as allergy injections
|author=
|pub=Polskie Radio
|date=November 8, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.biopharmalink.com/companies/1295.htm
|title=Jelfa S.A. Pharmaceutical Company
|author=
|pub=BioPharmaLink
|date=July 10, 2002}}

{{publish}}
{{Archived}}
[[Category:Economy and business]]
[[Category:Poland]]
[[Category:World]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Jarosław Kaczyński]]
Polish Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński has ordered the pharmaceutical company Jelfa to halt production following revelations that Jelfa had placed mislabelled medication on the market, whose use could be potentially fatal. 

Jelfa distributed vials labelled as Corhydron, a hydrocortisone used to treat allergies and inflammation, but in fact containing Suxamethonium chloride, a drug normally used to cause muscle paralysis during emergency surgery. 

The Health Ministry has appealed to people suffering from asthma or allergies to check their medication and return any Corhydron ampoules they possess to the pharmacy.

 Polskie Radio reports that the mislabelling was discovered a month ago, but Jelfa and the  Polish Health ministry did not inform of the problem. 

Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski ordered Jelfa to halt production until it can assure the Polish Government that it can properly manage its production. 

The  Polish Outlook reports that that drug companies in Poland were operating unregulated since December, 2005 as the regulations has expired. The government was putting in place new regulations.

The owner of Jelfa is AB Sanitas, the largest drug producer in neighbouring Lithuania. The shut-down has been questioned by the  Lithuanian Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas, who expressed concern over the situation and said that he wants to try to settle the issue diplomatically.
Economy and business Poland World Politics and conflicts Jarosław Kaczyński