Canadians who take birth control pills may want to check their medicine cabinet.
Health Canada has issued a nationwide recall for one lot of Seasonique birth control due to missing pills.
In a notice posted on Saturday, the public health agency announced that Teva Canada LTD. is recalling one lot of the prescription birth control brand after receiving a complaint that a package was missing two pills, which may increase the risk of pregnancy.
“If your package is missing any pills, it is important you do not stop taking your medication or skip any doses and that you get a replacement or alternative product as soon as possible,” reads the alert.
According to Health Canada, Seasonique pills are packaged in extended-cycle tablet dispensers, each containing a 13-week (91-day) supply of pills: 84 light blue-green tablets (levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol) followed by seven yellow pills (ethinyl estradiol).
Health Canada
“Users can expect to have four periods a year, with bleeding occurring during the yellow pills. The complaint involved two missing light blue-green pills,” reads the notice.
The recall says Seasonique should be taken daily unless otherwise directed by your prescriber, and that taking the birth control pills as instructed is important for preventing pregnancy.
“Missing a pill could lead to undesired pregnancy and other side effects, including spotting and irregular bleeding,” it reads.
Health Canada says it’s monitoring the company’s recall and investigation, including its implementation of corrective measures to prevent this issue from happening again.
It will inform the public if any new health risks are identified.
What you should do if your birth control pills are affected
Health Canada advises users with affected Seasonique pills to do the following:
- Don’t skip any doses or stop taking the pills
- If your package is missing any pills, return it to your pharmacy for a replacement or an alternative product
- If you are unsure whether there are any pills missing from your package, talk to your pharmacist
- If you can’t get to a pharmacy right away, take the next pill in the proper order as noted in the packaging until you are able to contact your pharmacist.
“If you are missing any light blue-green pills in your package, or if you missed taking any light blue-green pills, you should also use another method of non-hormonal back-up contraception (such as condoms) and consult with your health care professional,” advised the public health agency.
If you have more questions, you can contact Teva Canada Ltd. by calling toll-free at 1-800-268-4127, Option 3, or by email at druginfo@tevacanada.com.