The supply of a common blood pressure medicine, Accuretic (quinapril and hydrochlorothiazide), is about to be disrupted nationwide after it was found to contain a carcinogen.
An urgent notice was filed today by Pharmac advising the following.
Urgent Pharmac Notice – Accuretic Supply Issue
Accuretic (quinapril and hydrochlorothiazide) tablets:
- Accuretic supply in New Zealand is about to be disrupted
- Recent batches of Accuretic, quinapril with hydrochlorothiazide, have been found to have small amounts of two contaminants
- There is no immediate risk to patients taking this medicine. People should keep taking Accuretic as prescribed until they have been prescribed a new treatment
- People using Accuretic must get a new prescription to change to an alternative high blood pressure medicine when they are due to fill their repeat or new prescription
Blood pressure medicine Accuretic supply issue
Pharmac said almost 36,000 New Zealanders using the medicine will need to change treatments, although it said the health risk was very low.
Pharmac’s director of operations Lisa Williams said “Medsafe has advised us that there is a very low risk to people who are taking Accuretic.
They should continue with their treatment because the risk associated with suddenly halting blood pressure medication exceeds that presented by the contaminant.”
People taking Accuretic are being advised to consult their doctor about an alternative treatment when their next prescription was due.
Read more
- Thousands told to change blood pressure drug over cancer risk – RNZ
- Health warning: Contaminated blood pressure pills, Pharmac urges 36,000 Kiwis to change medication – NZ Herald
- Accuretic (quinapril and hydrochlorothiazide) tablets: Supply issue – Pharmac
- Cheat Sheet: What are nitrosamines and what are they doing in blood pressure meds? – Stuff
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