<<Print>>

NUROFEN Plus packs could contain potent anti-psychotic pills, the drugs watchdog warned last night. Blister packets of Seroquel XL � used to treat Schizophrenia, mania and bipolar depression � appear to have been mixed up with the famous painkillers at a wholesaler's. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency issued a major safety alert after it emerged that individual packets of prescription-only Seroquel XL 50mg had surfaced in Nurofen Plus boxes. Thousands of packs could be affected. The packs have been found in pharmacies across the UK. Nurofen Plus is for pain relief and contains codeine. The affected packs of Nurofen Plus all contain 32 tablets and carry the following details: Batch Number Expiry Date Product Licence No 13JJ 03/2014 00327 / 0082 57JJ 05/2014 00063 / 0376 49JJ 05/2014 00063 / 0376 Each batch contains between 4,000 and around 7,500 packs, amounting to around half a million tablets. The large capsules of Seroquel XL 50mg tablets have gold and black packaging. Nurofen Plus tablets are smaller and have silver and black packaging. Ian Holloway, from the MHRA's defective medicines report centre, said: "People should check to see if they have any affected packets of Nurofen Plus. "If you do, return them to the pharmacy where you bought them from. "You can also report this to the MHRA's DMRC on 020 3080 6574. "If you have taken a tablet and you have any questions, speak to your GP." Reckitt Benckiser, manufacturer of Nurofen Plus, said three cases identified so far in south London. It said "serious investigations" are under way to establish how the mix-up occurred - as Seroquel XL is manufactured by another drug firm, AstraZeneca. A company statement said: "After careful review of the manufacturing system, manufacturing errors by the makers of Nurofen Plus or Seroquel XL are not thought to be part of the cause at this stage. "We are taking this matter very seriously and are working closely with the regulatory authority, the MHRA, and pharmacies. "The MHRA are investigating the issue, and have considerable law enforcement powers. "Nurofen Plus is a pharmacy-only medicine which means it is behind the pharmacy counter. "It is not available for self-selection from the shop floor - and therefore pharmacists are able to check packs and greatly reduce the likelihood of affected packs being sold." Dr Aomesh Bhatt, medical director for Nurofen Plus, said: "We are taking this matter extremely seriously and we are working closely with the MHRA to investigate fully. "Additionally, we are in the process of working to ensure the Nurofen Plus packs are double-checked by pharmacy staff before they are handed to customers. "We encourage consumers of Nurofen Plus to be vigilant and, while it is very unlikely, should they find they have a suspect pack or if they have any other concerns, we advise them to speak to the pharmacist where they purchased the product."