Prepared meals, foods, vehicles, or even hygiene products: regularly, the platform RappelConso reports massive product recalls throughout France. While food products, vehicles, and baby products are the most recalled, medications can also be affected.
This is the case recently with a clotting medication, according to a press release from the ANSM (National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products), published Wednesday, March 25, 2026. These are certain boxes of Rivaroxaban Viatris 20 mg recalled due to a “quality defect.”
Information about the recalled medication
The drug Rivaroxaban Viatris 20 mg is an “anticoagulant” used to prevent and treat the formation of blood clots in the vessels,” details the ANSM in its press release. It comes in the form of a film-coated tablet (i.e., it is covered with a thin film, like certain painkillers such as ibuprofen or tramadol).
It is produced by the Viatris Santé laboratory, a French subsidiary of the global giant Viatris, resulting from the merger of the Mylan and Upjohn (Pfizer) laboratories. It was Viatris Santé which precisely warned the ANSM of a “quality defect” concerning a batch of Rivaroxaban Viatris 20 mg.
This is the lot nᵒ 8212020, which has for expiry date 07/2028. The precise reason for this recall? This medicine has been “contaminated in very small quantities by another medicine (quetiapine) during its manufacture,” explains the laboratory.
How do I realize if my medication is affected?
“The batch number is indicated on the outer packaging of the box, generally on the back side in a white box, and accompanied by the expiration date,” replies the ANSM. In this case, it is the boxes of Rivaroxaban Viatris 20 mg, film-coated tablet, whose batch number is 8212020 and with an expiry date of 07/2028, which are affected by this product recall.
If in doubt, do not hesitate to call your nearest pharmacy and present them your box of medicine so that they can check the batch number.
“As a precautionary measure”
The health risks are minimal and “no adverse effects have been reported to date in connection with this quality defect”, wishes to reassure the ANSM, which justifies this national recall by a “precautionary measure”.
The Viatris Santé laboratory informed the ANSM of the presence of quetiapine in a batch of this medication (8212020), a medication used in the treatment of certain psychiatric disorders. Investigations confirmed that quetiapine was present in very small quantities, a dose of less than 0.05 mg per tablet. As a guide, therapeutic doses of quetiapine in adults are 50 to 600 mg per day. […] As a precautionary measure, we have decided to recall the entire batch concerned.
The health agency also adds that the distribution of this batch of drugs “started in January 2026” was interrupted, the origin of the defect having been identified and “corrective measures are underway”.
There is no known interaction between rivaroxaban and quetiapine and to date, no adverse effects have been reported in connection with this quality defect.
A box exchange is offered
Do you have a box of Rivaroxaban Viatris 20 mg responding to the ANSM recall? “ Do not stop your treatment,” but meet without delay in pharmacy in order to make an exchange – and recover a box without defects, informs the ANSM.
Pharmacists who, for their part, have dispensed these boxes of medication are invited to contact the patients concerned in order to make them aware of this product recall (and to suggest that they travel to obtain the box exchange).
However,in case of adverse effects (such as abnormal drowsiness, migraine, dizziness or even having a dry mouth), contact your doctor without delay and specify your situation and this product recall.
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