NEW Zealand's Pharmac medicines agency has advised health professionals that supply of Pfizer's Accuretic (quinapril with hydrochlorothiazide) will be disrupted due to the detection of nitrosamine contamination.
The issue means almost 36,000 New Zealanders taking the blood pressure medicine will need to change treatments, with Pharmac spokesperson Lisa Williams confirming voluntary recalls are also happening in other countries including Australia, Europe, Canada and the USA.
Pharmac has been working with Pfizer over recent months to secure an alternative product but "because it's a global issue no alternative brand is available in sufficient volumes for New Zealand and that can be verified as being free from contamination".
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