Glaxo Wellcome UK recalls Ventolin syrup bottles due to glass particle risk

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has revealed that the company recalled two batches of the asthma drug in amber glass bottles displaying the batch numbers M005 or M006.

Around 1375 bottles of the affected batches have been dispensed to pharmacies and there is less than a one in 1000 chance of a bottle having a defect which could potentially result in glass fragments being contained in these, the regulator said.

MHRA Defective Medicines Report Centre head Adam Burgess said, "There is a very low risk of glass particles being contained in bottles of Ventolin Syrup but patients who have been prescribed this product should check the batch numbers."

Commenting on the recall, GSK spokesman Eleanor Bunch was quoted by in-pharmatechnologist.com as saying the recall will affect 15 batches of the asthma drug that were shipped to Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Holland, Lithuania, and Malta and to French speaking countries in Africa.