Pfizer Recall of Birth Control Pills Due to Packaging Error

Pfizer issued a recall on its birth control pills, around 1 million of them actually, because of incorrect packaging the will render the drugs ineffective.

In other words, women who were able to take the pills prior to the Pfizer recall, can possibly become pregnant!

The recall involves about a million packets. Each packet contains 21 active, hormone-containing pills and seven inactive pills, which women take to prevent pregnancy. But Pfizer, in a statement, said that in some packages, the inactive pills may have been “placed out of order.”

Here is the full statement from Pfizer:

“We have announced a voluntary recall of Lo/Ovral®-28 (norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol) and Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets (generic) birth control pills in the United States.

“We understand that this news can be very concerning and confusing for any woman who takes birth control pills to protect against unintended pregnancies.

“We share your concerns and want to provide you with the most up-to-date and accurate information.

“Recently, it came to our attention that there may be an issue with the way some of these pills were packaged…and that the inactive or placebo pill may have been placed out-of-order in some packs.

“Upon discovery of the issue, we took corrective action and notified the FDA.

“Based on our own rigorous internal assessments of this problem, we believe there are approximately 30 packs of birth control pills that may have received an inexact count or inactive tablet.

“Because of our high quality standards, should we identify even one package that does not meet our high standards, we will voluntarily recall the entire lot.

“Therefore, we have voluntarily recalled the 28 lots – which is approximately 1 million packs – to ensure that any possibly impacted product is removed from pharmacy shelves – and women who use the product are alerted.

“If you are a woman in the United States who has used Lo-Ovral or Norgestrel pills over the last several months, please consult with your physician and begin using a non-hormonal barrier method immediately.

“Patients can view pictures of the affected products and lot numbers included in the recall by visiting:

Correctly Packaged LoOrval Blister Pack Image -
www.pfizer.com/img/news/LoOvralCorrectPkg.jpg

Correctly Packaged Norgestrel Image -

http://www.pfizer.com/img/news/NorgestrelCorrectPkg.jpg