Supermarkets and Numark recall own-brand cough syrup over mould fears
Supermarkets and Numark pharmacies have been told to recall their own-brand cough syrups following reports of mould, the medicines watchdog has announced.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued the recall yesterday (June 20) for 15 batches of cough syrup (see a full list below) sold across Numark pharmacies, Superdrug, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Wilko stores.
The batches are all produced by Bell, Sons & Co, which told C+D it is “still undergoing investigations as to the cause”.
“We’ve got some strong indications [of] what the cause is and once we've [confirmed] that, we will take the necessary steps to prevent this happening again,” it added.
”A precautionary measure”
The MHRA said the recall is a “precautionary measure” following a “small number of reports of mould”.
“All retailers and wholesale customers have been notified and stock is already being recalled at store level,” it said. “Patients are being asked to return bottles from the above batches to the shop they bought it from.”
“At the time of writing, the MHRA has not received any reports of adverse drug reactions relating to this issue,” it stressed.
“The mould has been identified as Penicillium decumbens, Penicillium corylophilum and Penicillium brevicompactum,” it added. “Although these moulds may be inactivated in the stomach, there is a low potential risk of systemic infection in younger or immunocompromised children, causing symptoms of infection such as fever.”
Read the MHRA's recall alert here.
Multiples react
Numark and Rowlands parent company Phoenix told C+D that all Phoenix customers – including Numark members – have been alerted, as have all Rowlands branches.
Superdrug told C+D that “even though there is a low risk of a reaction, we have taken the precautionary step of recalling all our own-brand children’s blackcurrant cough syrup from our shelves.”
The multiple is also issuing a poster to its stores today to inform its customers, as well as emailing those who have already bought the product, it added.
Product description | Batch | D code | Expiry date | Pack size | Date released |
Asda Children's Dry Cough Syrup Glycerol Blackcurrant Flavour | 274V1 | D10-5120 | August 1, 2020 | 200 ml | September 27, 2017 |
Asda Children's Dry Cough Syrup Glycerol Blackcurrant Flavour | 276V1 | D10-5120 | October 1, 2020 | 200 ml | October 31, 2017 |
Asda Children's Dry Cough Syrup Glycerol Blackcurrant Flavour | 278V1 | D10-5120 | December 1, 2020 | 200 ml | January 2, 2018 |
Asda Children's Dry Cough Syrup Glycerol Blackcurrant Flavour | 283W1 | D10-5120 | February 1, 2021 | 200 ml | February 19, 2018 |
Bell's Healthcare Children's Dry Cough Glycerin 0.75g/5ml Syrup | 280V3 | D10-4315 | December 1, 2020 | 200 ml | January 4, 2018 |
Morrisons Children's Dry Tickly Cough Glycerin 0.75g/5ml Oral Solution | 282W1 | D10-4325 | January 1, 2021 | 200 ml | January 30, 2018 |
Numark Children's Dry Cough 0.75 g/5 ml Oral Solution | 280V1 | D10-4042 | December 1, 2020 | 200 ml | January 4, 2018 |
Numark Children's Dry Cough 0.75 g/5 ml Oral Solution | 288W1 | D10-4042 | April 1, 2021 | 200 ml | April 27, 2018 |
Sainsbury's Children's Dry Cough 0.75g/5ml Syrup | 275V1 | D10-0112 | September 1, 2020 | 200 ml | October 11, 2017 |
Superdrug Children's Dry Tickly Cough Glycerin 0.75 g/5 ml Oral Solution | 280V2 | D10-4695 | December 1, 2020 | 200 ml | January 4, 2018 |
Superdrug Children's Dry Tickly Cough Glycerin 0.75 g/5 ml Oral Solution | 284W1 | D10-4695 | March 1, 2021 | 200 ml | March 24, 2018 |
Tesco Children's Dry Cough Syrup | 277V1 | D10-4271 | October 1, 2021 | 200 ml | October 31, 2017 |
Tesco Children's Dry Cough Syrup | 278V2 | D10-4271 | December 1, 2020 | 200 ml | January 2, 2018 |
Tesco Children's Dry Cough Syrup | 281W1 | D10-4271 | January 1, 2021 | 200 ml | January 30, 2018 |
Wilko Tickly Cough 0.75g/5ml Oral Solution | 275V2 | D10-0310 | September 1, 2020 | 200 ml | October 11, 2017 |
Do you stock any of these batches in your pharmacy?