Drug Regulatory Authority (Drap) on Tuesday ordered the immediate recall of a contaminated batch of Anarob antibiotic drip after laboratory tests found harmful levels of bacterial toxins.
Anarob Infusion, which contains metronidazole, is widely used in hospitals for treating serious infections of the stomach, lungs, skin, and other organs, especially when oral medicines are not effective.
According to a medical product alert, Drap’s Central Drugs Laboratory declared the batch “substandard” after detecting bacterial endotoxins.
The authority warned that patients receiving the contaminated infusion could suffer severe reactions, including fever, chills, septic shock, and potentially life-threatening complications. Hospitalised and immunocompromised patients are considered most at risk.
The affected batch has been identified as H24219. Drap directed its field force and provincial drug control departments to launch market surveys to detect and remove the product from circulation.
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It further instructed all pharmacists and chemists to check stocks immediately, quarantine the defective drug, and return it to the supplier.
Healthcare professionals have also been advised to report any adverse reactions or quality issues to the National Pharmacovigilance Centre through its official reporting system. Consumers are urged to stop using the affected batch and seek medical help if they experience symptoms linked to the infusion.
Drap stressed that heightened surveillance will continue across pharmacies, hospitals, and healthcare facilities to ensure the recall is fully effective.
This is not the first such incident. In March 2024, Drap ordered the recall of a children’s fever syrup, while earlier in January the authority pulled nine contaminated syrups from the market. Officials say repeated cases highlight the urgent need for stricter quality control in the pharmaceutical supply chain.
