Washington, DC: Pfizer Inc. announced on January 31, 2012 that it has recalled 1 million packages of birth control pills - specifically - 14 lots of Lo/Ovral®-28 (norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol) Tablets and 14 lots of Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets (generic) for customers in the U.S. market. This Pfizer product is not distributed in the Canadian market. As such the recall does not impact Canadians taking Pfizer oral contraceptives.
An investigation by Pfizer found that some blister packs may contain an inexact count of inert or active ingredient tablets and that the tablets may be out of sequence. As a result of this packaging error, the daily regimen for these oral contraceptives may be incorrect and could leave women without adequate contraception, and at risk for unintended pregnancy.
The affected oral contraceptives were manufactured and packaged by Pfizer Inc., commercialized by Akrimax Rx Products and labeled under the Akrimax Pharmaceuticals brand. This product is distributed to warehouses, clinics and retail pharmacies nationwide. Expiration dates on the affected packs range from July 2013 to March 2014.
