If you are using this drug, tell your doctor immediately, according to the FDA

For many people, going to the doctor is the first step to a better life, whether you are seeking advice on how to eat a higher nutrient diet or trying to better manage an illness that is negatively affecting your health. Unfortunately, many people seeking better health through the use of a popular Pfizer prescription drug may face a wake-up call, now that several batches of the drug are withdrawn from the market for safety reasons. . Read on to find out if your medicine is on the recall and what to do if you have affected medicines at home.

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On July 19, the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Pfizer had voluntarily recalled several lots of Chantix smoking cessation drugs. The affected drugs include bottles of 56 Chantix 0.5 mg tablets bearing the lot number 00019213 and the expiry date January 2022; Bottles of 56 Chantix 0.5 mg tablets with batch number EC6994 and expiration date May 2023; Bottles of 56 1 mg Chantix tablets with batch number EA6080 and expiration date March 2023; Bottles of 56 1 mg Chantix tablets with batch number EC9843 and expiration date March 2023; and eight Chantix carton lots containing one blister pack of 0.5 mg tablets and one blister pack of 1 mg tablets with lot number 00020231 and an expiration date in September 2021; lot number 00020232 and an expiration date in November 2021; lot number 00020357 and an expiration date in December 2021; lot number 00020358 and an expiration date in January 2022; lot number 00020716 and an expiration date in January 2022; lot number ET1600
and an expiration date of 1/2023; the lot number ET1607 and an expiration date of 1/2023; and the lot number ET1609 and an expiration date 01/2023.

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The affected lots of Chantix were withdrawn from the market after it was discovered that they may contain levels of N-nitroso-varenicline, a type of nitrosamine, in excess of the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) set by Pfizer.

“Long-term ingestion of N-nitroso-varenicline may be associated with a theoretical increased risk of cancer in humans, but there is no immediate risk for patients taking this drug,” says the advisory recall, noting that Chantix is ​​generally used in the short term for smoking cessation to begin with.

Pfizer explains that at the time the recall notice was issued, there had been no adverse health effects associated with the use of the recalled medications.

Indeed, the company claims that smoking is more dangerous than the ingredient in question. “The health benefits of quitting smoking outweigh the theoretical potential cancer risk from the nitrosamine impurity in varenicline. Nitrosamines are common in water and foods, including cured and grilled meats, dairy products, and vegetables. Everyone is exposed to some level of nitrosamines, ”Pfizer said in its recall announcement.

If you have any of the affected lots of Chantix at home, contact your doctor to decide which course of action is best for you, whether that is getting a new pack of the medicine or changing your treatment. . If you have the recalled Chantix at home, you should also contact Stericycle Inc. at 888-276-6166 weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for instructions on how to return the medication and obtain a refund.

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