More than 80,000 packs of a widely prescribed antidepressant have been recalled across the United Kingdom after a patient discovered the incorrect medication inside a sealed package. The patient, who had been prescribed Sertraline 100mg film-coated tablets, instead found a strip of Citalopram 40mg film-coated tablets — another type of antidepressant — within the carton.
Precautionary Recall Initiated
Following this discovery, UK-based pharmaceutical company Amarox initiated a “precautionary recall” of a specific batch of Sertraline, according to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The agency noted that both medications are produced by the same manufacturer at the same facility. The error “appears to have occurred during secondary packaging of the blister strips into the cartons,” the MHRA stated.
Patients who believe they may have inadvertently taken Citalopram 40mg tablets or are experiencing any side effects are advised to seek medical advice immediately.
Batch Number and Actions Required
The MHRA has instructed pharmacists to stop supplying the affected batch and to contact any patients who may have received the impacted product: Sertraline 100mg tablets with batch number V2500425. The total batch size is 81,872 packs.
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.”
Dr Cave added: “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.”
Background on Sertraline Usage
In 2019, more than 16.7 million prescriptions of Sertraline were issued by GPs in England, according to a study, highlighting the medication’s widespread use.
