Birth Control Recall Could Leave Some With Placebos

Packaging errors have sparked a voluntary recall of two popular birth control pills. If you use Drospirenone or Ethinyl Estradiol, you’ll need to check your prescription as soon as possible. Four different lots of the drugs have been recalled due to faulty packaging, and possibly even the presence of placebos. Women who continue to rely on them could be at risk for pregnancy.

Nationwide Recall

The makers of Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol are asking women to check the numbers on their prescription boxes. Affected lots have an outer carton with the NDC number 60505-4183-3 and an inner carton with the NDC number 60505-4183-1, with the expiration date 8/2020. The affected lot numbers are 7DY008A, 7DY009A, 7DY010A and 7DY011A.

If your prescription falls into one of these lot numbers you can return it to the pharmacy where you bought it for a replacement. Wholesalers and retailers should contact the distributor, Apotex Corp., directly at 1-877-674-2082 about product returns. Customers with questions or concerns can call the company at 1-800-706-5575 on weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. You can also email them at UScustomerservice@Apotex.com

Faulty Packaging

The manufacturer for Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol released a statement warning the drugs may not have been properly positioned in their blister packs. This might result in the appearance of a missing tablet in the packaged product, which could upset the delicate dosing schedule. The warning also mentions the possibility of women taking “a placebo instead of an active tablet,” which suggests more than missing tablets could be at play. The company hasn’t elaborated on this bizarre prospect.

No one has yet to report an unwanted pregnancy due to the packaging error, and hopefully it stays that way. Address affected lots as soon as possible and use alternative forms of birth control until then. Also, make sure your friends are all aware of the recall, since this could affect them too. The repercussions could last a lifetime.

If you believe either of the recalled products have adversely affected you, the FDA urges you to file with its Medwatch Adverse Event Reporting Program. You can find the paperwork at www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm, or call 1-800-332-1088 to have a copy sent to you.

~ Here’s to Your Health and Wellness