Muprican Tm Ointment

MUPRICAN ointment contains the active substance mupirocin. MUPRICAN is an antibiotic ointment.

MUPRICAN is used to treat bacterial skin infections, such as:

• infected hair follicles which form pimples containing pus (“folliculitis”),
• an infectious skin infection with blistering and crusting known as “impetigo”, or recurring boils (“furunculosis”),
• infected eczema, abrasions, insect bites, minor wounds and burns,
• to prevent bacterial contamination and infection of small wounds, cuts and abrasions.

This ointment is only for external use on your skin.

Do not use MUPRICAN

• if you are hypersensitive (allergic) to mupirocin or any of the other ingredients of MUPRICAN (listed in section 6);
• have a skin infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (a certain type of bacterium (germ)).

Warnings and precautions

Take special care with MUPRICAN:

• MUPRICAN is not suitable for use in your eyes, nose or around intravenous cannula (‘drip’) sites. Keep the ointment away from your eyes. If the ointment gets into your eyes accidentally, wash them thoroughly with water until all ointment residues have been removed.
• MUPRICAN can cause severe skin reactions or allergies.

Tell your doctor or healthcare professional:

• if you have any kidney problems;
• if you have large areas of broken skin that are affected. MUPRICAN may penetrate broken skin and affect your kidneys;
• if you develop a watery diarrhoea with stomach cramps. You may have a severe form of inflammation of the inner lining of the colon which needs prompt treatment. See section 4.

If you apply MUPRICAN for a prolonged period, or use it less often than prescribed, you may develop another infection, caused by types of germs that are not sensitive to mupirocin (contained in MUPRICAN). You should keep strictly to your healthcare provider’s instructions.

Other medicines and MUPRICAN

Always tell your healthcare provider if you are taking any other medicine. (This includes all complementary or traditional medicines.)

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, please consult your doctor, pharmacist or other healthcare provider for advice before taking this medicine. Safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding has not been established.

Driving and using machines

It is unlikely that MUPRICAN will affect your ability to drive or operate machinery.

MUPRICAN is for external use only.

Do not share medicines prescribed for you with any other person.

Always use MUPRICAN exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. You should check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

You usually apply MUPRICAN two (2x) to three (3x) times a day to the affected skin areas.

1. Wash and dry your hands.
2. Apply a small quantity of MUPRICAN to cover the affected area of your skin.
3. You can cover the treated area with a dressing, unless your doctor has told you to leave it uncovered.
4. Replace the cap on the tube and wash your hands.
5. Do not mix MUPRICAN with any other external cream or ointment medicines on the infected area of your skin as this may reduce the effectiveness of MUPRICAN.

It is important that you use the full course of MUPRICAN. Do not stop treatment early as your symptoms may disappear before the infection is fully cleared. Your doctor will tell you how long your treatment with MUPRICAN will last. The bacteria are normally cleared from your skin within 10 days of starting treatment. Do not use for more than 10 days. Throw away any ointment that is left over.

If you have the impression that the effect of MUPRICAN is too strong or too weak, tell your doctor or pharmacist.

If you use more MUPRICAN than you should

If you accidentally swallow MUPRICAN, contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice. Do not use MUPRICAN more frequently than you should.

If you forget to use MUPRICAN

If you forget to use MUPRICAN, apply it as soon as you remember and apply the next dose at the usual time. Do not apply a double dose to make up for forgotten individual doses.

MUPRICAN can have side effects. Not all side effects reported for MUPRICAN are included in this leaflet. Should your general health worsen or if you experience any untoward effects while using MUPRICAN, please consult your healthcare provider for advice.

If any of the following happens, stop using MUPRICAN and tell your doctor immediately or go to the casualty department at your nearest hospital:

• swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, face, lips and mouth or throat, which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing,
• raised and itchy rash,
• collapse.

These are all very serious side effects. If you have them, you may have had a serious reaction to MUPRICAN. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation.

Tell your doctor immediately or go to the casualty department at your nearest hospital if you notice any of the following:

• infection and inflammation of the large intestine (pseudomembranous colitis), causing diarrhoea, usually with blood and mucous, stomach pain and fever. These are all serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention.

Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following:

Frequent side effects:

• Burning where the ointment is applied.

Less frequent side effects

• Itching, redness, stinging and dryness on your skin in the place where MUPRICAN is applied.
• Allergic rash, itching, redness or soreness of the skin can also occur on other parts of your body.

Frequency not known

• Superinfection of the skin by germs resistant to MUPRICAN may develop if MUPRICAN is used for a long time. If this occurs, tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.

If you notice any side effects not mentioned in this leaflet, please inform your doctor or pharmacist.

Reporting of side effects

If you get side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. You can also report side effects to SAHPRA via the “6.04 Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Form”, found online under SAHPRA’s publications: https://www.sahpra.org.za/Publications/Index/8. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of MUPRICAN.

Store all medicines out of reach of children.

Store at or below 25 °C. Keep tightly closed. Do not refrigerate.

Do not store in a bathroom.

Do not use after the expiry date stated on the carton and tube. Return all unused medicine to your pharmacist.

Do not dispose of unused medicine in drains or sewerage systems (e.g. toilets).