A Cross-sectional Study Highlighting Awareness about FDA Announcement on Voluntary Recall of Ranitidine among Physicians and Pharmacists in and Around Chennai, India

Background: Ranitidine is a histamine-2 (H2) blocker, which decreases the amount of acid created by the stomach. In September 2019, the drug was recalled due to impurities N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), and Health Canada. NDMA is a carcinogen based on results from laboratory tests.

Aim: The objective of the study is to assess the awareness among the physicians and pharmacists in and around Chennai about the ranitidine recall notification and its related issues.

Materials and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out where a questionnaire was administered on 198 physicians and 113 pharmacists who were enrolled in the study. Awareness, knowledge, and issues related to recall notification were recorded from the participants.

Results: Results showed that only 75% of the study participants were aware of the notification and the issues related, with significantly more participants from the urban area compared with the rural area. When the notification was known by many, the reasons pertaining to the notification were not known. The findings indicate that the majority of participants who were not familiar with the ranitidine recall notification and the related issues were from the rural area.

Conclusion: Overall, the awareness assessed among physicians and pharmacists was not satisfactory. Physicians and pharmacists are the most responsible healthcare providers and to be updated with every notification on medication published by regulatory bodies.