Boots has urgently recalled one of its own-brand paracetamol from shelves over ‘packaging error’ fears.
The high street pharmacy giant stuck a ‘do not take’ alert on a batch of its 500mg tablets.
It is feared the drug, which costs under £1, has been packaged incorrectly, labelling it as aspirin.
Boots, who published the alert today, said it was unclear whether the product contains aspirin or if it was simply labelled incorrectly.
However, the recall only impacts one batch of its 16-pack tablets with the item code 81-99-922 and expiry date of December 2029.
The retailer added: ‘The supplier is currently conducting a full investigation. Please do not take this product.
‘If you have bought the Boots Paracetamol 500mg tablets 16s item code 81-99-922 as detailed above, please return the product to your local Boots store for a full refund with or without a receipt.’
Batch and expiry information can be found on the top of the pack where it is opened.
High street pharmacy giant, Boots, stuck a ‘do not take’ alert on a batch of its 500mg tablets
It is feared the drug, which costs under £1, contains incorrect packaging mistakenly labelling it as aspirin
The item code is located between the barcode and the Boots logo on the side.
‘For more information please contact Boots Customer Care Team on 0800 915 0004,’ Boots said.
While paracetamol and aspirin are both effective painkillers, aspirin is not suitable to take among people with certain health conditions or allergies to the drug.
Aspirin is taken once a day in low doses of 75mg to 100mg by millions as a preventive therapy for circulatory diseases and cancers, and by countless others in high doses (300mg and above) for pain, headache and fever.
But, the NHS says you should only take daily low-dose aspirin if your doctor recommends it.
This is because of a high risk of heart attack or stroke — aspirin helps to stop blood from clotting, taking it daily can make people bleed more easily.
It even cautions those taking it to be ‘careful when doing activities that might cause an injury or a cut’.
‘Use an electric razor instead of wet shaving, and use a soft toothbrush and waxed dental floss to clean your teeth,’ the health service advises.
The NHS also warns that, as well as causing intestinal bleeding, taking aspirin regularly can cause ulcers in the gut by damaging the stomach and intestinal lining.
Paracetamol is also recommended as the first choice of painkiller for pregnant women.
Low-dose aspirin may be prescribed by a doctor or midwife to help prevent a condition called pre-eclampsia and is safe to take throughout pregnancy.
However, high dose aspirin is not recommended for pain relief in pregnancy as it may affect the baby’s circulation.
