Sunday, June 24, 2007 Product recall is Wyeth's own initiative: group By Gil Alfredo B. Severino
PRODUCT recall is routinary, normal, and happening many times in a year, said Philippine Society of Hospital Pharmacy (PSHP)-Negros Chapter President Eleanor Nicor, as she expressed surprise why Wyeth milk products appeared to be singled out over the other brands.
"It is even happening among vital medicines. To be fair, it was Wyeth itself, which discovered the packaging defect (rust), reported to the Bureau of Food and Drug (BFAD) and initiated the product recall," Nicor said.
Nicor's statement was validated by Provincial BFAD Regulation Officer Elizabeth Genada, saying, that they however have not received directives from BFAD Head Office with regards to certain milk product pull-out of Wyeth.
Nicor added, "The hype, however, over the Wyeth packaging issue brought some advantages. Now health issues are in the front pages reinforcing bare-breasts Manila militant groups advocating for breastfeeding."
Nicor explained that the heightened awareness on breastfeeding will positively affect health well-being of infants eventually becoming intellectually prepared for school.
She said there are medical exceptions to breastfeeding, adding, "There are women whose milk supply is insufficiently low, infants are unable to suck any thus causing pain to the mother."
Compliance
Meanwhile, Nicor stressed that the Milk Code of the Philippines does not have punitive provisions. "Thus breastfeeding has become a privilege rather than a responsibility," she said.
"As Society of Hospital Pharmacists, what we can do is to monitor hospitals that are strictly adhering to the 'baby-friendly' policy of the country. Sad to say, here in Negros, there are only a few adherents owing to financial consideration also," Nicor explained.
A "baby-friendly" hospital absolutely does not sell any form of infant formula milk through its pharmacy, she said.
"There is no law punishing the non-adherents of the country's milk policy. So what we are doing is simply monitoring hospitals that are not baby-friendly. Then we use moral persuasion everytime we have conferences for them to comply," she added.
For the busy working mother, PSHP recommends mixed feeding, Nicor said.
"Mixed feeding is combining infant formula milk with the collection of the mother's milk before going to work. After work, the mother continues breastfeeding," she added.
Nicor was also saddened by the fact that the Social Security System (SSS) and Government Security and Insurance Service (GSIS) themselves do not have a lactation policy.
Maternity leaves are up to 45 days for normal delivery and 60 days for caesarean delivery.
