"Serious Investigations" Into Drug Mix Up

(Posted on 25/08/11)

An over the counter painkiller, Nurofen Plus, is being pulled from store shelves throughout the UK today after a safety alert was issued saying it contain a prescription anti-psychotic drug.

Consumers are being warned that thousands of packages of Nurofen Plus could be tainted and they're being warned to use extreme caution when using it until the altered packages can be located and destroyed. The prescription drug, Seroquel XL is believed to be included in those packets in "strips". So far, it's been found in three packets. Those three packets were found in Victoria, Beckenham and Bromley. No word yet on how far the packets might have traveled.

Solicitors in the UK as well as the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency are monitoring the situation, as the potential damage could be devastating.

Seroquel XL is manufactured by Astra Zenaca and is obtained only through a prescription. It's an anti-psychotic drug that's commonly used to treat mental disorders such as depression, schizophrenia and other mania-related illnesses. Side effects include drowsiness, headaches and dizziness and consumers are warned to not operate heavy machinery.

If you've purchased Nurofen Plus and are concerned, you're encouraged to return the package to the pharmacy you purchased it from. In the meantime, consumers are encouraged to closely examine their medication as the two differ. Seroquel XL have black packaging with gold trim while Nurofen Plus are tablets and smaller in size. They too have silver and black packaging.

As mentioned, all three discoveries were located in London and officials have launched a "serious investigation" to determine how it occurred and how wide the problem might be. Any concerns, at this point, should be directed to consumers' physicians.

AstraZenca, through its legal team, released a statement on Thursday that reads, in part:

"Patient safety is the primary concern of AstraZeneca and the company is taking this issue seriously. AstraZeneca is collaborating with the MHRA and Reckitt Benckiser to investigate the root cause... "