Oral Contraceptive Pills Recalled

If you use birth control pills you need to be aware of a giant recall going on now by the Qualitest Pharmaceutical Company. Qualitest is part of Endo Pharmaceuticals and due to a packaging error they are recalling approximately 1.4 million packs of birth control pills sold within the last year.

Brands included in the recall are:
• Cyclafem 777
• Cyclafem 135
• Emoquette
• Gildess FE1.5/30
• Gildess FE 1/20
• Orsythia
• Previfem
• Tri Previfem

The packaging error caused the pills to be rotated in the pack incorrectly. This means that women may not be getting the correct dose of hormones in the correct order to prevent pregnancy. Women who use this type of birth control pill may be at increased risk for pregnancy and should either abstain from sex until their next menstrual cycle when they can start a new pack of pills or use a back up method of birth control.

The packaging error is also making it difficult or impossible to see the expiration date and lot numbers. This further increases the risk for pills being ineffective as expired contraceptives loose their effectiveness.

This packaging error was first notices by a pharmacist who alerted Qualitest. While this is the biggest recall of birth control in history the company is taking no chances and fears the number of unintended pregnancies that may occur due to this error.

Any woman who uses any of the brands of birth control pills listed by Qualitest should contact their pharmacist as well as their prescribing physician for a new prescription of pills. All packs of birth control pills on the list should be turned into their pharmacist for return to Qualitest.

http://theweek.com/article/index/219408/americas-massive-birth-control-r...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/19/us-qualitest-recall-idUSTRE78I...