Health officials have recalled a batch of a commonly used antidepressant after a patient found the wrong medicine inside their pack.
A patient taking Sertraline 100mg film-coated tablets found a strip of antidepressant Citalopram inside the sealed carton.
UK-based pharmaceutical company Amarox has issued a precautionary recall of a certain batch of Sertraline, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said.
Both medications are produced by the same manufacturer at the same site, and the error appears to have happened during ‘secondary packaging of the blister strips into the cartons’.
Patients who believe they have already taken any Citalopram 40mg tablets by mistake or are experiencing side effects should seek medical advice immediately.
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Pharmacists have also been urged to stop supplying the batch and contact any patients who picked up what they thought was Sertraline.
MHRA chief safety officer Dr Alison Cave 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 Sertraline might experience side effects including nausea, headaches, sleep changes and anxiety.
In 2019, more than 16.7 million prescriptions of Sertraline were prescribed by GPs in England, according to a study.
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