The pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has announced they are voluntarily recalling several lots of blood pressure medications due to the presence of a cancer-causing impurity known as nitrosamine.
Nitrosamines can be found in water and foods, including cured and grilled meats and dairy products. There is a connection between cooking some foods at high heat levels and nitrosamines.
According to Pfizer, everyone is exposed to some level of nitrosamines. However, these impurities may increase the risk of cancer if people are exposed to them above acceptable levels over long periods of time.
The drugs lots being recalled have been found to contain levels of nitrosamines above the “Acceptable Daily Intake” (ADI).
Is your medication on the list?
The specific drugs being recalled include:
- Six lots of Accuretic tablets
- One lot of quinapril and hydrochlorothiazide tablets
- Four lots of quinapril HCl/ hydrochlorothiazide tablets
According to Pfizer: Although long-term ingestion of N-nitroso-quinapril may be associated with an increased cancer risk in humans, there is no immediate risk to patients taking this medication.
You may recall last year that Pfizer issued an expansive recall for Chantix. Nitrosamines were also the culprit then.
What should you do?
To see if you are in possession of a blood pressure medication from any of the recalled lots, you can access a detailed listing provided by Pfizer here. The products were distributed between November 2019 and March 2022.
If you’re unsure if you are taking a mediation from one of the recalled lots, your pharmacist should be able to assist you in making that determination.
If you find your medication is on the list, contact your physician. In most cases, it is not safe to discontinue medication without consulting your physician first to find a suitable alternative.
You can also receive reimbursement by calling (888) 843-0247 (Mon.-Fri. 8:00 am – 5:00 pm ET) for instructions on how to return the product and obtain a reimbursement.
Source:
Pfizer Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Lots of ACCURETIC™ (quinapril HCl/hydrochlorothiazide), quinapril and hydrochlorothiazide Tablets, and quinapril HCl/hydrochlorothiazide Tablets Due to N-Nitroso- Quinapril Content — Pfizer.com