HHP Medication Safety Watch: October 2022

This list contains selected items from the full FDA list of recalls, withdrawals, and alerts for medicines and certain health products. We've provided links to FDA information for each product and its maker. Unless otherwise noted, these actions apply only to the specific brand name of the product listed. Talk to your healthcare provider before stopping or changing any medicines or treatments that they have recommended for you.

• Prescription medicines

Prescription medicines

Combination blood pressure medicine recalled due to impurity

• Quinapril/Hydrochlorothiazide tablets, 20mg/12.5mg (maker: Aurobindo Pharma USA, Inc.)

Comment: Two lots of this medicine have been recalled due to detection of a nitrosamine, called N-nitroso-quinapril, in higher than acceptable levels. Nitrosamines are found at low levels in water and foods. However, exposure to higher than acceptable levels over time can potentially cause cancer.

Tablets combining quinapril and hydrochlorothiazide are prescribed for people with high blood pressure to lower blood pressure.

Blood pressure and blood thinner medicines recalled due to labeling error

• Atenolol, 25 mg tablets (maker: Golden State Medical Supply, Incorporated)
• Clopidogrel, 75 mg tablets (maker: Golden State Medical Supply, Incorporated)

Comment: The maker of both medicines has recalled a single lot of each because a bottle labeled as containing atenolol was found to contain clopidogrel instead.

This labeling error could lead to accidental treatment with clopidogrel and sudden discontinuation of atenolol.

Atenolol lowers blood pressure and is a common treatment for hypertension (high blood pressure). Suddenly stopping this medicine could increase the risk of heart attack, heart rhythm abnormalities, or other cardiovascular complications.

Clopidogrel is a blood thinner prescribed to people to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, or other diseases caused by blood clots. Accidental use of clopidogrel could increase a person’s risk of bleeding, especially if they are taking other blood thinners.

Read additional issues of HHP Medication Safety Watch