Packaging Mistake Sparks Pfizer Birth Control Pill Recall | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

Approximately one million packs of birth control pills have been recalled by drug maker Pfizer Inc. The company claims the pills weren’t packaged correctly, raising the chance of unplanned pregnancies for women who relied on the pills.

Brand name Lo/Ovral-28 and generic equivalent norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol products are being pulled from pharmacy shelves. Any women with prescriptions for those hormonal contraceptives should check their birth control right away. Lot numbers of affected packs can be found on the Pfizer website.

The pills come in packs that mix 21 active active tablets and 7 that are inert. Women are supposed to take a certain pill on a specific day. Pfizer has explained that order and number of active and inert tablets got mixed up. According to the company, the design of its packaging line allows for incorrect placement of the pills and the mechanical system for detecting defective packs could miss one “very, very infrequently.” Plant workers could also miss problem pill packs.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not received any reports of unintended pregnancies from women who used recalled packages of birth control pills.  

It’s scary to think that prescribed contraceptives might not work as intended. If your own borth control is affected by this recall, consult your doctor. If you believe you may have become pregnant as a result of this packaging error, consult an attorney.

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