Contraceptive tablet mix-up: Bayer issues national recall

Amid Budget Speech shock, yet another Land Bill proposed

Katja Hamilton

Pharmaceutical firm Bayer, in partnership with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, has issued a national recall of Yaz Plus birth-control pills.

Source: Pexels

The recall involves defective Yaz Plus packs containing only four hormone tablets instead of 24, compromising their contraceptive effectiveness.

A limited number of defective packs were found in a retail pharmacy.

Some packs have 24 light orange hormone-free and four pink film-coated hormone tablets instead of 24 pink film-coated hormone tablets and four light orange hormone-free tablets.

Eric Chauke, regulatory affairs head at Bayer, has urged wholesalers, hospitals, retail pharmacy outlets, doctors, nurses, patients and customers to return all stocks of the batch WEW96J - expiry date: 03/2026 to DSV Healthcare or the wholesaler/distributor from where they were purchased, for credit.

"This is a Class II Type A recall which is intended for medicines that possibly could cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health problems or mistreatment," Chauke said.