Urgent recall of allergy pens over fears life-saving gadgets might not work
Urgent recall of allergy pens due to fears that life-saving gadgets will not work
- Medical regulator has withdrawn them as part of a ‘precautionary recall’
- Emerade 300 and 500 microgram pens may ‘fail to activate’ in ‘rare’ cases
Two different types of life-saving allergy pens are being urgently recalled for fear they may not actually work.
Medical regulators have pulled the devices from the UK market as part of a ‘precautionary recall’, it emerged today.
Evidence has been found that in “rare” cases the Emerade 300 and 500 microgram pens “do not activate” when dropped.
The recall does not affect the Emerade 150mcg pens.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which oversees the safety of medicines used in Britain, was behind the recall.
Medical regulators have pulled the devices from the UK market as part of a ‘precautionary recall’, it emerged today. Evidence found that in ‘rare’ cases the Emerade 300 and 500 microgram pens may not ‘activate’ if dropped
The MHRA said today that “premature activation has also been detected” in some of the 300 and 500 microgram pens after being dropped.
This means that a dose of adrenaline is being delivered too early.
Patients, or caregivers of patients, who carry the autoinjector pens should contact their primary care physician immediately to obtain a prescription, the MHRA urged.
Pharmacists and pharmacy teams can also assist in obtaining new prescriptions and dispensing new pens.
Patients or caregivers should then return all Emerade 300 and 500 microgram autoinjectors to their local pharmacy.
But the watchdog warned that patients should not return their Emerade pens until they receive a replacement from their pharmacy.
Alternative brands available are the EpiPen or Jext.
Emerade 300 or 500 mcg epinephrine autoinjectors are manufactured by Pharmaswiss Česka republika sro and distributed by Bausch & Lomb UK Limited.
Dr. Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer, said today: “Patient safety is our top priority.
“We are taking immediate action to protect patients, upon detection of damage to internal components of the Emerade pens if they have been dropped, which could mean they activate too early or fail to activate and fail to deliver adrenaline.
She added: ‘The Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed that there is a sufficient supply of EpiPen or Jext adrenaline pens available to patients in the UK, but patients will need to apply for a new prescription.
“Patients are reminded to carry two pens at all times and to contact their healthcare provider if a replacement is needed.”