A string of dry cough medicines have been pulled from shelves due to a potential rare side effect, health officials have warned.
A number of treatments containing the cough suppressant pholcodine have been recalled due to safety fears. A rare side effect has been identified among people who take the medicines up to a year before going under general anaesthetic with a neuromuscular blocking agent.
The Medicine's and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said that, based on advice from the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM), the advisory body that provides expert advice on drug safety, it was recalling the products "as a precaution". Patients who are taking cough medicine have been advised to check whether pholcodine is a listed ingredient.
