Patients who take the common blood pressure medicine
Lercanidipine HCI 20mg tablets (lercanidipine hydrochloride) from
the manufacturer Recordati Pharmaceuticals Limited, should, as a
precautionary measure, urgently check if they have the batch
number MD4L07 with an expiry date of 01/2028 on any packs they
have at home. The batch number is printed on the foil of the
blister strips.
This follows an error in the strength of the product printed on
some of the sides of the pack. The error is limited to one batch
of the medicine only.
The packs are incorrectly labelled as 10mg on some sides of the
pack when they are 20mg tablets. The correct strength (20mg) is
printed on the top of the carton and on the blister strips.
An alert, has been issued
by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
today.
Patients prescribed 10mg tablets
Patients prescribed 10mg tablets and have received tablets with
this batch number should contact their pharmacist or GP
immediately.
If the GP or pharmacist cannot be reached, patients should call
NHS 111 for advice on
continuing their medication.
If a patient cannot speak to a healthcare professional before
they are due to take their next dose, they should:
-
verify the strength of the tablets is 20mg from the
information on the foil of the blister strips
-
remove one tablet from the blister as normal
-
locate the break line on the tablet
-
snap the tablet in half across the break line and take half
of the tablet. This is permitted for the 20mg tablets and is
in line with information included in the patient information
leaflet (where it states ‘The tablet can be divided into
equal doses'). This is a temporary measure until you can talk
to your pharmacist or doctor.
Patients prescribed 20mg tablets
Patients who were prescribed 20mg tablets should verify the
strength of the tablets by checking the information on the foil
of the blister strips prior to taking the tablet. Patients should
continue to take the tablets as prescribed by their doctor.
Patients should not stop taking their medicine without consulting
their healthcare provider. Patients who are concerned about the
strength of the medication they have received should check it
with their dispensing pharmacy.
Patients concerned they may have accidentally taken a higher dose
of the medication than they were prescribed should talk to a
pharmacist, their GP or call NHS 111.
Patients who experience side effects or have any questions about
the medication should seek medical attention. Any suspected side
effects should also be reported via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.
Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer said:
Patient safety is our top priority. We ask patients to check
their medicine packaging and follow our advice.
Healthcare professionals such as pharmacists are also being asked
to stop supplying medicine from the affected batch and to return
it to the supplier.
Please report any suspected adverse reactions via the MHRA's Yellow Card
scheme.
The alert was issued after the manufacturer, Recordati
Pharmaceuticals Limited, informed the MHRA of an error in the
strength of the product printed on some sides of the product
carton. Recordati Pharmaceuticals Limited is initiating a recall
of the specified batches as a precautionary measure.
Notes to editors
- You can find local pharmacy opening times by using the NHS's
Find a
Pharmacy page.
- You can find which pharmacies are open by searching for
Easter opening times online, contacting your local pharmacy or
calling 111.
- Patients who may have accidentally taken a higher dose of the
medication than they were prescribed should talk to a pharmacist,
their GP or call NHS 111.
- Each of the packs affected by the recall contains 28 tablets.
7769 packs of the tablets have been distributed.
