The discovery of glass particles in a number of capsules of medicine was among the quality defects which the Irish Medicines Board found in licensed medical products last year, according to a report in Medicine Weekly.
The capsules contained medicine to be injected. The IMB reported the defect to its counterpart in the EU state in which the product was manufactured.
In another case, the bottle containing a syrup formulation prescribed for children could not be closed after the product had been used once.
The defective bottle was withdrawn from the market.
In all, 27 product defects were confirmed in 2001, an increase of almost 30 per cent on the previous year and a 69 per cent increase on the 1999 figure.
Reports of defects came mainly from pharmacists.
Thirty reports were received but three were considered unjustified.
In one of these cases, improper handling at the point of administration had rendered the product unusable.
The number of reported adverse reactions to drugs also increased significantly from close to 1,400 in 2000 to 2,282 last year.
The IMB welcomed the increase.
It said it was "a sign of increasing awareness of pharmacovigilence on the part of healthcare professionals and an appropriate response to the initiative taken by the IMB to stimulate reporting".