Sara-Jayne Makwala King22 November 2024 | 4:15

Bayer recalls YAZ PLUS birth control pills over 'mix up'

If you're somebody who uses oral contraceptives made by Bayer, you'll want to read this.

Bayer recalls YAZ PLUS birth control pills over 'mix up'

Pills medication contraceptive

Lester Kiewit speaks to Eric Chauke, Regulatory Affairs Head and Responsible Pharmacist at Bayer.

Listen below.

If you're someone who uses a Bayer-manufactured oral contraceptive, listen up.

The pharmaceutical giant has issued an urgent recall for one of their birth control medications.

It turns out a packaging mix-up is behind the recall of the YAZ PLUS tablets.

Chauke says some of the packs were accidentally filled with hormone-free placebo pills.

"There is a particular batch that we were notified of... Normally a birth control pill will have active hormones which protect women from falling pregnant and then there are a few tablets which allow women to go in to into their period phase."
- Eric Chauke, Regulatory Affairs Head and Responsible Pharmacist - Bayer
"On a few packs which were reported, we realised that the layout in the pack was reversed."
- Eric Chauke, Regulatory Affairs Head and Responsible Pharmacist - Bayer
Picture: Bayer

Picture: Bayer

Chauke says very few packs are affected but they want to take all precautionary measures by issuing the recall.

"It might be about 11... and four of them we've already gotten back. The reason for the recall is for the remaining seven or so."
- Eric Chauke, Regulatory Affairs Head and Responsible Pharmacist - Bayer

Users are urged to check their medication against the batch number WEW96J with an expiry of 3/2026.

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.