by: staff reporter
a line of birth control pills is being recalled in canada due to missing or mispackaged pills.
aspen pharmacare canada inc. is recalling packages of linessa 21, a prescription birth control, that the lot number 200049 and an expiry date of march 2023.
health canada,
which issued the recall alert
, say some packages may be missing pills, contain more than one tablet in a blister pocket, or contain pills in the wrong order.
linessa 21’s blister packs are supposed to contain 21 coloured pills — seven light yellow, seven orange and seven red — with a different amount of hormone in each colour of pill.
“taking the pills in the proper order, according to the instructions that accompany the product, is important for preventing pregnancy,” health canada said in a statement. “missing a pill, taking a pill out of the proper order, or taking two pills at the same time could lead to undesired pregnancy and other side effects, including spotting and irregular bleeding.”
health canada advises anyone who purchased linessa 21 with missing or mispackaged pills to return the product to the pharmacy as soon as possible for replacement.
“if you have questions or concerns about your product or about alternatives, talk to a health care professional and use an effective backup method of contraception (such as condoms),” health canada said.