"All indications of side effects are written on the drug packaging," a Jakarta Health Office official, Hari Sulistiyono, said during a discussion on safe drug consumption here on Friday.
There are several things that must be considered before consuming a medicine, including its side effects, he added.
The first is the drug composition or content. The next are indications for efficacy, dosage, and usage method.
Another important thing to consider is the drug’s side effects, such as whether a drug induces sleepiness or whether it cannot be consumed by people with certain conditions, such as pregnant women.
Whether or not side effects emerge would depend on the condition of each individual's body.
Moreover, even if a drug is consumed three times a day, in accordance with the medical team's recommendation, side effects can still emerge within the normal and safe threshold, he informed.
"If there is an effect, it should be reported to doctors or pharmacists," he noted.
Meanwhile, concerning the temporary removal of syrup medicines in connection with acute kidney disorder, Sulistiyono urged people to consume tablet medicines.
If it needs to be given to an infant, a tablet can be ground into smaller bits first to make it easier to consume.
Related news: Jakarta Health Office combs hospitals for acute kidney failure data
Both syrup and tablet medicines have the same efficacy if they have the same content, he explained.
However, syrups dissolve faster within the body since they have additives that make them easier to dissolve.
The additives are the ones currently being investigated by various government institutions, including the Health Ministry, in relation to the acute kidney disorder that is mostly affecting children under the age of six, he said.
In the meantime, tablets are being recommended as an alternative since they have been declared to be relatively safe. This is because tablets do not contain ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol, he explained.
Related news: Acute kidney injury in Indonesia can be cured: Health Minister
Translator: Dewa Ketut S W, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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