Health Ministry may ban ‘Analgin’

The Azerbaijan Health Ministry may withdraw pain relief and febrifugal medicine referred to as “Analgin” from use soon.

The substances it contains could presumably cause leukemia, head of the ministry’s Center for Analytical Expertise of Medicine, Abulfaz Abdullazada, told Radio Liberty.

Commenting on the fact that such popular medicine as “Diphenylhydramine” pills and “Manganese” has already been withdrawn from open sale at pharmacies, he said that since the imports and sale of this medicine are under tight state control, their use is allowed only based on a special prescription.

Abdullazada admitted that forged medicine is at times encountered in drugstores in Baku but pledged that the ministry would continue conducting check-ups to eliminate shortfalls. He noted that substandard medicine is mainly brought from CIS states as well as India.

The Health Ministry earlier discovered 905 unsuitable medicine items as a result of the inspections.*