The Department of Health says changes in the colour, shape or packaging of medicines supplied at public healthcare facilities do not affect their quality, safety or effectiveness.
The Health Department has moved to reassure South Africans that patients will continue to receive treatment at public healthcare facilities despite concerns about medicine shortages and changes in the appearance of medication.
Department spokesperson Foster Mohale said reports of medicines looking different or being supplied in alternative packaging should not be interpreted as evidence of shortages or changes in treatment.
“The Department wishes to reassure the public that a change in the colour, shape, packaging or manufacturer of a medicine does not mean that the medicine itself has changed,” Mohale said.
The department explained that public healthcare facilities source medicines from multiple approved suppliers that comply with strict regulatory and quality standards.
