The MHRA has pledged to investigate the full extent of unauthorised pseudoephedrine sales after a 99p Stores branch put pharmacy-only Nurofen Cold and Flu containing the ingredient on its shelves.

Brijesh Chopra, a pharmacy manager in Solihull, spotted 12-tablet packs of the medicine with Arabic writing on them at a 99p Stores branch in Kingfisher Shopping Centre, Redditch, last month. Mr Chopra reported the incident to the store manager, who passed the concerns on to the chain's head office, and also informed the MHRA.

"My concern was that it could be used for crystal meth [production]," Mr Chopra told C+D.

A pharmacist spotted the pseudoephedrine-containing Nurofen Cold and Flu packs in a 99p Stores branch and alerted the manager	More on pseudoephedrine Pseudoephedrine to stay P after third annual       MHRA review NPA "delighted" with pseudoephedrine decision       but warns against complacency Pharmacy wins fight to keep PSE and EPH       pharmacy-only medicines MORE NEWS
	A 99p Stores spokesman told C+D last week that it had been "working closely with the MHRA" on the matter. He said the medicine was "a rogue product" at one of the chain's 225 UK branches and had been removed from all shelves.

The MHRA said it was aware of the incident and stressed that patient safety was of the "utmost priority". "The MHRA is currently taking action to determine the full extent of the problem and associated circumstances," a spokesperson told C+D.

Nurofen manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser UK said it had not supplied the product to the 99p Stores branch, but confirmed it was aware of the incident and would investigate the matter further.

The MHRA decided against reclassifying pseudoephedrine from P to POM in 2009 following C+D's Stop the Switch campaign. But further restrictions were placed on its sale in pharmacies to minimise the medicine's misuse in the illegal manufacturing of crystal meth.