Boots, Superdrug, Thornton & Ross medicines recalled by Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

UK’s top health experts have announced that some 20 cold and cough medicines are being recalled over an allergy risk posed by one ingredient.

These include medications produced by Boots, Thornton and Ross and Pinewood Labs, due to a risk of anaphylaxis caused by an ingredient called “phlocodine”.

Pholcodine is an opioid cough suppressant, which helps suppress to dry coughs and also has a mild sedative effect, but has little or no pain-relief.

The recall has been issued as a precaution, following a review by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) which found “their benefits do not outweigh the increased risk”.

The review found that, in “very rare” cases, pholcodine can cause anaphylaxis – or an allergic reaction – to neuromuscular blocking agents used in general anaesthesia.

Check the packaging of any cough tablets or syrups you have at home to see if pholcodine is listed – and if it is, talk to your pharmacist about getting a different medicine.

You should also inform your anaesthetist before you have surgery if you have ever consumed pholcodine, especially in the past 12 months.

All the medicines which have been recalled are as follows:

Boots Night Cough Relief Oral Solution, PL 00014/0230
Boots Dry Cough Syrup 6 Years+, PL 00014/0523
Boots Day Cold & Flu Relief Oral Solution, PL 00014/0565
Cofsed Linctus, PL 00240/0097
Care Pholcodine 5mg/5ml Oral Solution Sugar Free, PL 00240/0101
Galenphol Linctus, PL 00240/0101
Galenphol Paediatric Linctus, PL 00240/0102
Galenphol Strong Linctus, PL 00240/0103
Covonia Dry Cough Sugar Free Formula, PL 00240/0353
Pholcodine Linctus Bells Healthcare 5mg Per 5ml Oral Solution, PL 03105/0059
Numark Pholcodine 5mg per 5ml Oral Solution, PL 03105/0059
Well Pharmaceuticals Pholcodine 5mg per 5ml Oral Solution, PL 03105/0059
Superdrug Pholcodine Linctus BP, PL 03105/0059
Strong Pholcodine Linctus BP, PL 03105/0060
Pholcodine Linctus BP, PL 04917/0002
Strong Pholcodine Linctus BP, PL 04917/0005
Pholcodine Linctus, PL 12965/0030
Day & Night Nurse Capsules, PL 44673/0068
Day Nurse Capsules, PL 44673/0069
Day Nurse, PL 44673/0075

The Commission on Human Medicines advised in the review that there is sufficient overall evidence for an association with pholcodine.

However, the absolute risk of anaphylaxis remains very small in patients who have taken pholcodine – seen in around one in 10,000 procedures.

The MHRA scientific review took place alongside a review conducted by the European Medicines Agency, which also concluded that the benefits did not outweigh the risks.