Drug maker fails audit

Published: 1-Nov-2003


Australians may face a shortage of many popular drugs after the medicines watchdog, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) suspended the manufacturing licence of Soul Pattinson Manufacturing for six weeks. Inspectors found its factory was dilapidated, with paint peeling from ceilings and holes in the floor. Some 600 products are affected, including breast cancer treatment tamoxifen and a drug for schizophrenia. However, extensive testing found no unsafe or incorrectly formulated products.

TGA spokeswoman Kay McNiece said auditors believed consumers could have been at risk if the plant was left to continue manufacturing. The company manufactured 612 products, mainly vitamins but its range also included six prescription drugs. The manufacturing licence could be further suspended if the factory is not brought up to scratch within six weeks.

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