The Drug Control Authority under the Health Ministry had issued a cancellation and product recall of pholcodine, an opioid medicine that is used in adults and children for the treatment of non-productive (dry) cough and, in combination with other active substances, for the treatment of symptoms of cold and flu.
Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said, this is due to a safety risk detected, namely the risk of anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction that can be life-threatening) with the use of muscle-relaxants or neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) during the process. general anesthesia especially to those who have taken medicines containing pholcodine in the past 12 months.
In other words, those who have taken medicines containing pholcodine (usually cough medicine) in the past 12 months face a higher risk of experiencing anaphylaxis if they are given muscle relaxants or neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) during the general anesthesia process for example during surgery .
