Only later did regulators confirm which medicine was involved. The alert concerns packs of 5mg ramipril produced by Crescent Pharma Limited. Some of these boxes may contain amlodipine tablets instead of ramipril. Patients are advised to check the batch number GR164099 printed on the outer carton and look at the labels on the blister strips inside.
If the blister strips say amlodipine instead of ramipril, the pack should be returned to a pharmacy. Boxes containing correctly labelled ramipril tablets can continue to be used as normal. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) says the overall risk is considered low because both medicines are used to treat high blood pressure.
However, taking the wrong tablets could cause blood pressure to fall too much, which may lead to dizziness or light-headedness. Anyone who believes they may have taken the wrong medication and feels unwell is advised to seek medical advice and take the tablets with them to a doctor or pharmacist.
Ramipril belongs to a group of medicines known as ACE inhibitors. It works by blocking a hormone that normally causes blood vessels to tighten, allowing them to relax and widen. Amlodipine, on the other hand, is a calcium channel blocker that helps blood vessels relax by preventing calcium from entering the muscle cells in their walls.
Both drugs are commonly prescribed to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, but they affect the body through different biological pathways. Because millions rely on these medications every day, regulators stress the importance of checking the packaging details to make sure the correct tablets are being taken.