Massive recall of the antidepressant generic of TEVA

Once again the Israeli drug maker TEVA was unreliable concerning the safety of its generic drugs, as it was forced to a massive recall of more than 1 million bottles of antidepressant drug.

It is about the antidepressant with the active substance duloxetine, which is available from TEVA in capsules of different strengths. Reason for the recall was a patient's complaint in the United States, who identified crushed capsules in the bottle.

The exact number of items withdrawn amounts to 1,050,266 bottles. It should be noted that these batches were prepared in the units of TEVA in Israel, a country which have signed a protocol of cooperation with the EU, according to which there is no retesting of Israeli pharmaceutical products into the European market.

So, the arguments that are invoked in our country many proponents of cheap imported generics, including the Minister of Health, Mr. Adonis Georgiadis on a priori safety of drugs imported into the European Union, are collapsing.

The errors of TEVA though, are not limited to that antidepressant. Recently, were also withdrawn from the U.S. market 258,000 pieces of inhaled medication for asthma, because the product didn't pass in the stability tests of blends and for "degradation of standards".

It turns out again that those who argue that the cheap generic is "panacea" for underfunded Greek health system, may endanger the health of Greek citizens, to satisfy the demands of creditors and the interests they represent.