More than 80,000 packs of a commonly used antidepressant have been recalled after a patient discovered the wrong medicine inside their pack.
The recall follows a complaint by a patient who takes Sertraline 100 mg film-coated tablets and instead found a strip of another antidepressant, Citalopram 40mg film-coated tablets, inside the sealed box.
Both Sertraline and Citalopram are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, and related mental health conditions by boosting serotonin to the brain.
UK-based pharmaceutical company, Amarox, has issued a “precautionary recall” of a particular batch of Sertraline, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said.
The same manufacturer produces both medications at the same site.
The MHRA said that the manufacturing error “appears to have occurred during secondary packaging of the blister strips into the cartons”.
They said that patients who have already taken any Citalopram 40mg tablets by mistake or are experiencing side effects should seek medical advice immediately.
The MHRA said that pharmacists should stop supplying the batch and contact any patients who may have been dispensed the impacted product, Sertraline 100mg tablets batch number V2500425.
The regulator said 81,872 packs are included in the recall.
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Dr Alison Cave, the MHRA’s chief safety officer, said: “If you have been prescribed Sertraline 100mg tablets and have received batch number V2500425, please check the carton contains the right medication.
“You can find the batch number and expiry date printed on the side of the outer packaging.
“If the blister strips inside the carton are labelled Citalopram 40mg, please contact your pharmacy as soon as possible. If they are labelled Sertraline 100mg, no further action is needed.
“Patients who have accidentally taken Citalopram instead of – or as well as – Sertraline may experience some heightened serotonergic side effects.
“These can include nausea, headache, sleep changes, and mild anxiety.”
In 2019, more than 16.7 million prescriptions of Sertraline were issued by GPs in England, according to a study.
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