Teva Canada brand Seasonale tablets recalled for extra placebo pills

Health Canada's offices at Tunney's Pasture, in Ottawa is seen on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Health Canada has issued a recall for a brand of birth control pills after some packages were packed with extra placebo tablets.

The agency says the recall covers Seasonale Tablets made by Teva Canada with 0.03 milligrams of ethinylestradiol and 0.15 milligrams of levonorgestrel. 

Health Canada says anyone with the affected pills should keep taking the pink active pills until the last row of the third tray, which contains white placebo bills. 

It says anyone with white placebo pills in the first or second tray should not take the white pills and should instead return the product to a pharmacy for a replacement product.

People who cannot get to a pharmacy right away is told to take the next pink active pill in the order as noted in the product instructions.

Anyone with questions about which pill is the right pill to take is asked to speak with their pharmacist and anyone who took a placebo pill instead of an active pill is advised to use another method of non-hormonal contraception and consult with a health-care professional. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025. 

The Canadian Press