Nurofen - 2011 Product Recall

2011 Product Recall

In August 25, 2011 it was reported that several packs of Nurofen Plus were found to contain Seroquel XL — a powerful anti-psychotic drug used to treat schizophrenia — in Boots stores across London. The next day, a safety alert was issued by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Pharmacists were told to check each package of Nurofen Plus to look for anti-psychotic drugs. There were three batches of Nurofen Plus which were affected by the alert. Reckitt Benckiser, manufacturer of Nurofen Plus, said that it didn’t know where the drugs had been switched. The product was re-released in celophane sealed packs. Christopher McGuire was later found guilty of one count of contaminating goods and two of administering a noxious substance. McGuire cost the manufacturers £2.4m and saved himself £7 when he put anti-psychotic drugs in empty packets of the painkiller. The scheme involved asking for Nurofen Plus at a pharmacy counter and then attempting to pay for it with a card he knew would be declined. This created a sufficient distraction for McGuire to discreetly swap the contaminated packet for the fresh one and walk away.