The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has told pharmacies to immediately stop supplying a batch of Phenobarbital 60mg tablets after they were recalled by the manufacturer following a safety alert.

Bristol Laboratories Limited issued the precautionary recall of batch NW0001 after low dissolution test results were reported during ongoing stability studies.

Pharmacies were also urged to quarantine all remaining stock and return it to their supplier.

The MHRA said because it was a precautionary pharmacy and wholesaler level recall, no more action was required from patients who were advised to continue taking medicines from the batch as “stopping phenobarbital treatment abruptly is likely to cause harm.”

“Suddenly stopping an epilepsy medicine may cause your seizures to start again or happen more often or last longer than before,” the MHRA said.