Health officials have issued a recall for a batch of the commonly prescribed antidepressant Sertraline after a patient discovered the wrong medication inside their sealed pack. The incident involved a patient taking Sertraline 100mg film-coated tablets who found a strip of Citalopram 40mg film-coated tablets in the carton instead.
The UK-based pharmaceutical company Amarox has initiated a 'precautionary recall' of a specific batch of Sertraline, as confirmed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Both medications are manufactured by the same company at the same facility.
The manufacturing error appears to have occurred during the secondary packaging process, when blister strips were placed into cartons, the MHRA stated.
Patients who believe they may have accidentally taken Citalopram 40mg tablets or are experiencing side effects should seek medical advice immediately.
Pharmacists have been instructed to stop supplying the affected batch—Sertraline 100mg tablets with batch number V2500425—and to contact patients who may have received it.
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 in addition to, Sertraline may experience 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.
