Two Chelonia Healthcare batches affected; patients advised to check medication
Patients in the UK are being urged to check their prescription painkillers after two batches of paracetamol were recalled due to contamination concerns.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued the warning after some 500mg paracetamol tablets were found to be discoloured. The affected medication comes from Chelonia Healthcare Limited, with batches 2312010 and 2312011 now subject to recall.
While the discolouration was initially identified in batch 2312010, batch 2312011 is also being recalled as a precaution while further investigation is underway. Both batches have an expiry date of November 2027 and were distributed earlier this year.
The MHRA has directed healthcare professionals to immediately stop supplying the affected batches and to quarantine and return any remaining stock to the supplier.
Patients are advised to check their medication for the batch numbers, which can be found on the label of the bottle and outer packaging. These tablets are only available with a prescription and may have been dispensed in small quantities.
According to the MHRA, the tablets should appear as white, capsule-shaped, and scored on one side, in line with the product description in the patient information leaflet. Anyone who finds discoloured tablets should contact their pharmacist or prescribing healthcare professional.
In addition, patients who suspect they may have taken the affected medication and have experienced any adverse reactions are urged to seek medical advice and report symptoms through the MHRA Yellow Card reporting scheme. Photo by Michelle Tribe from Ottawa, Canada, Wikimedia commons.