Medicine recalls
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| Canada: Pfizer recalls Accuretic blood pressure tablets due to a nitrosamine impurity |
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Health Canada announces that Pfizer Canada ULC is recalling all lots of Accuretic (quinapril hydrochloride and hydrochlorothiazide) medication in 10/12.5 mg, 20/12.5 mg and 20/25 mg strengths due to the presence of a nitrosamine impurity (N-nitroso-quinapril) above the acceptable level. For details of the affected products, please refer to the website in Health Canada.
Long-term exposure to N-nitroso-quinapril at a level above what is considered acceptable may increase the risk of cancer. People are all exposed to low levels of nitrosamines through a variety of foods (such as smoked and cured meats, dairy products and vegetables), drinking water and air pollution. This impurity is not expected to cause harm when ingested at or below the acceptable level. A person taking a drug that contains this impurity at or below the acceptable level every day for 70 years is not expected to have an increased risk of cancer.
As with previous recalls involving nitrosamine impurities, Health Canada is advising that there is no immediate risk in continuing to temporarily take the recalled Accuretic medication since the potential risk of cancer is with long-term exposure (every day for 70 years) to the nitrosamine impurity above the acceptable level. Patients can continue to take their medication as prescribed by their health care provider and do not need to return their medication to their pharmacy, but they should contact their health care provider to discuss other treatment options.
Please refer to the following website in Health Canada for details:
http://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/pfizer-recalls-accuretic-blood-pressure-tablets-due-nitrosamine-impurity
In Hong Kong, the above products are not registered pharmaceutical products.
Ends/Friday, Mar 4, 2022
Issued at HKT 16:00
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