Rising Pharma Holdings Inc. issued an allergy medication recall on July 18 for four lots of 5-milligram cetirizine hydrochloride tablets after the company said they may have been cross-contaminated with ranitidine. The tablets were sold in 100-count bottles nationwide. Customers who take the medicine and have a sensitivity to ranitidine face the most serious risk.
July 18 recall notice
The recalled tablets are used to treat seasonal allergies and hives, while ranitidine is used to treat heartburn, acid indigestion and sour stomach. Rising Pharma said the medication was manufactured by Unique Pharmaceutical Laboratories and distributed by Rising Pharma Holdings Inc. in New Jersey. The recall was announced on the Food and Drug Administration’s website, and the company said it let distributors and customers know by email after the recall.
Red dot discovery
The contamination concern surfaced after a pharmacy technician counted tablets and saw a red dot on some of them. That discovery led to the recall of four lots, though the company has not identified those lot numbers in the information provided here. The product was sold nationwide to several wholesalers and stores, which means customers may need to check bottles they already have at home against the recall notice from the company.
Ranitidine risk
Unique Pharmaceutical Laboratories said it has not received reports of adverse reactions to the cetirizine hydrochloride tablets. Rising Pharma Holdings Inc. warned that customers with a sensitivity to ranitidine may suffer anaphylaxis if they take contaminated tablets, and said that reaction could lead to difficulty swallowing or loss of consciousness. That makes the recall matter most for people who use the medicine and know they react badly to ranitidine ingredients.
Customers can contact Rising Pharma Holdings Inc. between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, at 1-844-874-7464, or email [email protected] or [email protected]. They can also report adverse reactions or quality problems to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program and request a reporting form by calling 1-800-332-1088.
