Patients with High Blood Pressure Urgent Alert: A medicine packaging error has been found in a specific batch of tablets. Some boxes wrongly show the strength of the medicine as 10mg, even though the tablets inside are actually 20mg. This error is limited to one batch only and an official alert has been issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to inform patients and healthcare professionals.
Here’s what you should know and do if you’re affected by this issue.
What’s the Problem?
The issue is with a batch of 20mg tablets that were wrongly labelled as 10mg on some sides of the pack. However, the top of the box and the blister foil inside clearly say 20mg, which is correct.
The mistake was reported by the company that makes the medicine, Recordati Pharmaceuticals Limited, and they are recalling the affected batch to prevent confusion and risk.
What Should Patients Prescribed 10mg Do?
If you were prescribed 10mg tablets, check your medicine pack carefully.
If your pack has this batch number and says 10mg on the outside but 20mg on the blister foil, you should contact your pharmacist or GP immediately.
If you can’t speak to them, you can call NHS 111 for help.
If you need to take your next dose and haven’t spoken to a healthcare professional yet:
Check the foil inside the blister strip. It should clearly say 20mg.
Remove one tablet from the blister.
Look for the break line on the tablet.
Snap the tablet in half and take only half a tablet.
This is a temporary solution, as the patient leaflet allows the tablet to be split into equal parts. Make sure to speak with your pharmacist or GP as soon as possible for proper advice.
What Should Patients Prescribed 20mg Do?
If you are on the correct dose of 20mg, there is no need to worry.
Just double-check the strength written on the blister foil before taking your dose. If it says 20mg, continue your treatment as usual. If you are unsure or concerned, talk to your pharmacist or doctor for confirmation.
Do not stop your medicine without talking to a healthcare professional first.
What If I Took the Wrong Dose?
If you think you may have taken too much, or more than what was prescribed:
Speak to your pharmacist or doctor right away.
If they are not available, call NHS 111 for advice.
If you feel unwell or have side effects, seek medical help immediately.
You can also report any side effects using the MHRA Yellow Card scheme, which helps track medicine safety.
What Healthcare Professionals Are Doing
Pharmacists and other healthcare workers have been asked to:
Stop giving out medicine from the affected batch.
Return it to the supplier as part of the recall process.
This is being done to ensure patient safety, which is always the top priority of the MHRA.
A packaging mistake has caused confusion in one batch of medicine. Some packs are wrongly labelled as 10mg, but the tablets are actually 20mg. This could lead to patients accidentally taking the wrong dose. If you are affected, follow the advice given above and speak to your pharmacist, GP or NHS 111 as soon as possible. Patient safety is being taken very seriously, and steps are being taken to remove the faulty packs from circulation.
FAQ
Q1: Why is this medicine being recalled?
This medicine is being recalled because some packs wrongly show 10mg on the label, but the tablets inside are actually 20mg.
Q2: How do I know if I have the affected batch?
Check the blister strip. If it says 20mg but your box says 10mg on the sides, your pack might be affected.
Q3: What should I do if I was prescribed 10mg?
Call your pharmacist or GP. If they’re unavailable, call NHS 111. You may temporarily take half of a 20mg tablet if needed, but only after checking.
Q4: Is it safe to split the 20mg tablet in half?
Yes, the patient leaflet says the 20mg tablet can be divided into equal doses, so this is allowed as a short-term fix.
Q5: Should I stop taking my medicine?
No. Don’t stop unless advised by your doctor. Always check the dose on the blister strip before taking it.
Q6: How do I report a side effect?
You can report side effects through the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme, either online or by calling them.
