The Department of Health has urged patients not to take Allopurinol produced by Europharm Laboratories due to its suspected fungal contamination which may cause mucormycosis infection.

The drug is used primarily to treat hyperuricemia - an excess of uric acid in blood plasma, known commonly as gout. Follow-up investigations into patient cases of invasive gastrointestinal mucormycosis in public hospitals revealed the drug has been contaminated.

The department has sent staff and experts to the manufacturer to inspect its production line and take samples for more tests. It has set up a hotline - 2125 1122 - to handle public enquiries.

It has informed private doctors, hospitals and other related parties of the matter. The Hospital Authority immediately stopped using the drug and will arrange for patients who have been prescribed with this drug to change medicine from Sunday.