Recall report of blood pressure drugs 'misleading'

MHRA also clarified that the manufacturer of these drugs, Macleod Pharmaceuticals, does not supply amlodipine medicines in the UK.

It was published online in both the Daily Record and Daily Express on the morning of Monday, March 21, that the drugs had been recalled in the US by the FDA due to deviations from standard manufacturing protocols by the manufacturer.

RPS intervened to ensure the articles were edited to make clear that this is not an issue in the UK after confirmation from the MHRA. Amlodipine tablets from Macleod Pharmaceuticals aren't available for wholesale distribution in the UK.

An MHRA statement said: “The MHRA has confirmed that the recall of combined Amlodipine/Olmesartan Medoxomil tablets 10 mg/20 mg, batch number BAD62101A (expiry Feb 24), is for the US market only – while Macleods Pharma does supply other medicines to the UK, this particular product is not available here.”

"Patients seeking advice can be reassured that the amlodipine and olmesartan provided by the NHS is not affected by the recall in the USA," assures RPS.