Patients receiving medication through South Africa’s public healthcare system may notice changes in the colour, shape, packaging or manufacturer of their medicines.
Patients using medication through South Africa’s public healthcare system may sometimes find that their medicine looks different from what they received previously.
A tablet may have a different colour or shape, while its packaging or manufacturer may also change. According to the Department of Health, these changes do not necessarily mean patients have been given a different medicine.
The department says public healthcare facilities procure medicines only from suppliers that meet stringent regulatory and quality standards. Where more than one approved supplier provides the same medicine, patients may receive products from different manufacturers over time.
Although the medicines may look different, they contain the same active ingredients, are of the same strength and quality, and provide the same therapeutic benefits. They are approved as safe, effective and interchangeable.
