There are no registered over the counter products that contain ranitidine and have impurities that could cause cancer, on sale in Panama said Panama’s Ministry of Health (Minsa on Thursday, September 26.

The Ministry was reacting to an alert of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for drugs with the carcinogenic compound produced by the Sandoz laboratory

Minsa said that in Panama there are no registered products with ranitidine from the Sandoz company.

he FDA has also said that patients taking ranitidine should not abandon it, without first consulting with their doctor to prescribe other options.

The Panamanian authorities are on alert and an approach has begun with the pharmaceutical companies responsible for the marketing of products with ranitidine to address the situation and that the corresponding measures are taken to minimize possible health risks.

“The pertinent procedures are being carried out for the analysis of samples of products with ranitidine to determine the presence or not of nitrosamine impurities in the national market,” says the Health Ministry which emphasizes that it is in constant communication with regulatory authorities at the international level

Ranitidine is a compound that is sold over the counter i and is used to relieve problems like heartburn.