Heart tablets recalled

The Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand is worried about another patient level recall of a commonly used hypertension and angina drug.

Mylan NZ's Pacific Atenolol 50mg tablets have been recalled after five tablets from three bottles were found to be 72 per cent larger than the required specifications.

The affected batch is DOR9003F and the expiry date is 07/2012.

The guild said recalls were worrying for patients and took considerable time and effort by health professionals to correct. This is the third recall since January.

The guild said it understood Mylan NZ would be asking doctors to contact all patients prescribed the medicine this year and community pharmacies have been asked to quarantine all stock affected and to provide replacement tablets for patients returning potentially affected stock.

Guild chief executive Annabel Young said such recalls caused issues for pharmacists as well as patients.

"When a medicine is recalled, patient safety is paramount and will always prevail. However, behind the scenes they cause administrative headaches for frontline health professionals who have to manage the situation."

Mylan NZ has recommended patients continue to take their tablets until a replacement could be obtained.

The company said that if the tablets appeared larger than normal, patients should not take them and contact their community pharmacist for advice.

- NZPA