http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s934547.htm
TGA audit reveals damning Pan evidence
A secret auditor's report on Pan Pharmaceuticals has found "compelling
and systematic evidence" of deception about the quality of its
products.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) says the report was handed
to the company's founder, Jim Selim, on the day production at Pan was
shut down but it has remained secret until now.
Pan's Sydney plant was investigated in February and April this year
and by the end of April its operations were suspended.
The auditor's report is a damning assessment which concludes that Pan
products posed an alarming level of risk to public health.
It found that products including sheep placenta, tuna oil and evening
primrose oil were all released despite containing traces of metal.
In two separate cases three years apart, cattle cartilage was
substituted for shark cartilage, the audit found.
It also found disturbing evidence of cross-contamination of drugs with
antibiotics for animals.
It says the company manipulated information on quality control testing
to misrepresent the results.
The TGA is not commenting on the findings in the lead-up to a meeting
of creditors on Monday.
A spokeswoman for the TGA says the Sydney plant has been investigated
twice since the first audit.
Creditors will vote next week on whether to put the company into
liquidation or support a rescue plan being promoted by Mr Selim.
The Federal Government says it is relieved findings of the
investigation that led to the Pan Pharmaceuticals recall have been
made public because they vindicate the TGA.
The Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Trish Worth, says it should
allay public suspicion that the TGA overreacted.
"It is absolutely nothing short of a total disregard for public
safety, I was absolutely horrified," she said.
The Federal Opposition is calling on the TGA to release all 30 pages
of the audit.
The Shadow Minister for Consumer Protection and Health, Alan Griffin,
says the public deserves to know exactly what happened.
"What's been happening is the parliamentary secretary Trish Worth and
the TGA have been hiding behind the fact that these documents are
allegedly commercial inconfidence and the fact of the matter is it's
about time the Government released these documents so the public is
fully aware of what actually has occurred," he said.
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Peter Bowditch
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