The FDA Has a New Warning About This Blood Pressure Medication

If you have high blood pressure, you're far from alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 45 percent of Americans have been diagnosed with hypertension or take medication for the condition. However, if you're taking one particular type of blood pressure medication, your health could be at risk, now that it's subject to a new recall.

On March 24, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the voluntary recall of Alembic Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s 20-mg Telmisartan Tablets. The recall is specific to a single lot of the product, which comes in 30-count bottles and bears NDC number 62332-087-30 and lot number 1905005661 on the packaging. The affected bottles are also printed with an expiration date of March 2022.

The blood pressure medication was recalled after it was discovered that the bottles may contain 40-mg pills instead of 20-mg pills, thus potentially jeopardizing the health and safety of those who take them. According to the FDA notice, "Patients who could be on a doubled dose of telmisartan for a prolonged period of time could experience low blood pressure, worsening of kidney function, or an elevation of potassium which can be life-threatening."

While manufacturer Alembic Pharmaceuticals had encountered no reports of adverse reactions at the time the recall notice was issued, the company recommends that anyone with one of the affected bottles at home speak to their doctor or a pharmacist, but cautions that they should not stop taking the medication unless a medical professional tells them to do so.

If you have pills from the affected lot at home, you can call Alembic Pharmaceuticals at 908-552-5839 on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET or email [email protected] with questions.

Alembic isn't the only company to pull its meds from the market recently, however; read on to discover which other prescriptions could be putting your well-being at risk. And for more safety hazards to avoid, If You're Eating This for Breakfast, Stop Immediately, FDA Says.

On March 18, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall of 14,000 units of Genentech-manufactured Evrysdi, a prescription drug used to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The recall, which is specific to 100-mL bottles of the medication printed with NDC number 20242-175-07 on the label, was initiated after Genentech received 26 reports of bottles leaking. If you have one of the affected bottles at home, contact Genentech for a replacement, and store any remaining medication out of reach of children. If the medication gets on your skin or in your eyes, the CPSC recommends washing your skin with soap and water, or rinsing the medication out of your eyes with water alone. And for the latest recall news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.

Whether you're a clinician with the medication at work or you use it at home, if you have a bottle of phenylephrine hydrochloride in your possession, you'd be wise to check the bottle before using it. On March 11, the FDA announced that 10 mg/mL concentrations of phenylephrine hydrochloride injections—typically used to treat low blood pressure related to the administration of anesthesia—produced by Sagent Pharmaceuticals had been recalled due to contamination concerns related to loose packaging seals.

The recalled medications have NDC number 25021-315-01, lot numbers PHT8IB2, PHT9IB2, or PHT1JB2, and expiration dates of either 08/2022 or 09/2022 printed on the packaging. If you have the affected medication in your home or workplace, you can contact Sagent Pharmaceuticals' customer service line at (866) 625-1618 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT or their medical affairs line at 866-625-1618. You can also fill out a form on the company website to initiate the medication's return. In the meantime, the FDA recommends that you do not use medication from the affected lots.

Four lots of Bryant Ranch Prepack spironolactone tablets in 25-mg and 50-mg dosages were recalled on March 9 after it was discovered that they were improperly labeled, the FDA reports. The recall notice states that the 25-mg tablets may have been put into 50-mg packaging, and vice versa, potentially leading to some patients getting half their usual dose and some getting twice their usual dose.

If your tablets are in packaging printed with lot numbers 148969, 148791, 148991, and a July 31, 2022 expiration date or lot number 148992 and a May 31, 2022 expiration date, call Bryant Ranch Prepack at 877-885-0882 for information on how to return the medication. And for more ways to protect yourself, If You Get This Message From Pfizer, Don't Respond, Officials Say.

On Feb. 21, the CPSC announced that pharmaceutical company Dr. Reddy's had recalled 21,400 packages of prescription meds after it was discovered that their packaging was not adequately child-resistant. The medications subject to the recall are 100-mg Imatinib Mesylate tablets, 400-mg Imatinib Mesylate tablets, 50-mg Pregabalin capsules, 75-mg Pregabalin capsules, 100-mg Pregabalin capsules, 150-mg Pregabalin capsules, 800-mg Sevelamer Carbonate tablets, 5-mg Tadalafil tablets, and 20-mg Tadalafil tablets.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb

To ascertain whether or not medication you use is included in the recall, the CSPC has visuals of all affected products' packaging on its website. To initiate a refund, contact Dr. Reddy's at 888-375-3784 or via the Dr. Reddy's website and keep the medications somewhere children can't access them, the CPSC recommends. And for another recall that could affect your health, If You Have This Bottled Water at Home, Stop Drinking It Now, FDA Says.