Wrong medication found in herbal sleeping pills box in France

A mass recall of a herbal sleep remedy has been initiated across France after a wrong pill was found in one of the boxes.

A man who had purchased a box of Euphytose, an over-the-counter natural herbal remedy for sleeping and anxiety, found a blue ‘Phenergan 25mg’ pill inside.

Phenergan is a brand of sleeping pills that are not herbal-based, and requires a prescription from a medical professional.

Pharmacists received an email from Bayer, the manufacturer of both products, asking them to destroy any boxes of Euphytose they had from the relevant batch.

In addition, Bayer says it is working in conjunction with the Agence Nationale de sûreté du médicament (ANSM, French medical safety agency) to recall the product.

“The precise origin of this event is currently being investigated,” said a Bayer spokesperson, before adding that “Pharmacists are asked to take all necessary measures in their pharmacies to inform patients of this recall.”

Anyone who has a packet of Euphytose should take it to their pharmacy or doctor for more advice and to see if their box is affected.

Thousands of boxes recalled

Around 16,000 boxes of Euphytose are affected by the recall, however so far only one box from the batch has been identified as having the wrong pill.

This is Lot SX2298, which expires on 03/2025.

Normally, Euphytose tablets are brown but the sleeping tablet is blue, meaning that any mistakes should be easy to see.

Euphytose is one of the most popular over-the-counter remedies for sleeping problems. The ASNM planning to launch a public information campaign regarding the recall.

Both medicines are made in the same factory.

You can read more about the recall on the ANSM website here.

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