Do not confuse hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic agents. The first term refers to an antidiabetic medication, which aims to reduce blood sugar levels, while the second refers to a medication against cholesterol.
And yet this is what happened recently, since a tablet against diabetes was found in a box of medicines against cholesterol. So much so that the National Medicines Safety Agency had to issue a warning and a product recall.
“We have been informed by the Arrow laboratory of the discovery of a Gliclazide 30 mg modified release tablet (hypoglycemic) in a bottle of tablets from lot JBM2300810F of generic Arrow atorvastatin 10 mg, film-coated tablet (hypolipidemic)”, details the ANSM (Source 1). “The Arrow laboratory, in agreement with the ANSM, is recalling the bottles of generic Arrow atorvastatin 10 mg, film-coated tablet from lot JBM2300810F. Patients who have a bottle from this lot at home are invited to take it back to the pharmacy to have it replaced”, continues the government agency.
The risk for patients who take gliclazide instead of atorvastatin is hypoglycemia, indicates the Ansm, which aims to be reassuring, specifying that no pharmacovigilance case linked to the quality defect has been reported to the laboratory at this stage (November 21).
Please note that this error only concernsa single vial of generic atorvastatin 10 mg Arrow (30 bulk tablets), and thatBoxes of atorvastatin in blister packs are not affected.
If the reference JBM2300810F is written on the bottle, patients are invited, not to stop alone or change their medication without medical advice, but to return said bottle to the pharmacy, where the pharmacist will issue a new box from a compliant batch.
Finally, in the event of symptoms suggestive of hypoglycemia (abnormal feeling of hunger, nausea, tremors, dizziness, headache), patients taking atorvastatin 10 mg are advised to contact a doctor.
