What to Do If Your Medication Is Recalled

You might have heard of a blood pressure medication called Ziac being recalled recently. Here are the steps you should take if you’re on it – or if another prescription you take is recalled.

Today while reading the news, I came across a headline that sounds pretty concerning at first glance: “Blood pressure medication recalled over contamination concerns.” If you saw a similar headline and you're worried, I want to break down what’s going on and what you should do. 

This recall (which was initiated on November 21, 2025 but just recently got picked up in the news) specifically covers about 11,000 bottles of Ziac – a blood pressure medication distributed by Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc. I want to make two things abundantly clear to ease your mind:

• FDA recalls happen more frequently than you might expect (and are rarely for something that would cause “serious health consequences”) 

• The Ziac recall is classified as a Class III recall, meaning it’s unlikely to cause any harm to health. It’s probably getting an outsized splash in the media because nearly half of all people in the US have high blood pressure.  

Ziac works to lower blood pressure in two ways: It contains bisoprolol (a beta blocker) and hydrochlorothiazide (a diuretic). It was recalled because of possible cross-contamination with another drug that lowers cholesterol. For most people, the risk of taking a drug that is part of the recall is quite low (or none). 

Your medication has been recalled by the FDA – what do you do now? 

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is the agency responsible for approving new drugs – and monitoring existing ones, like Ziac – for safety, quality, and effectiveness. A recall can be voluntarily issued by a company (as has happened in this case) or requested by the FDA itself. There are three grades of severity for a recall. Here’s how the FDA classifies each: 

• Class I: These recalls are the most serious, where there is a reasonable probability that using or being exposed to the recalled drug will cause serious health consequences for a consumer. In these situations, the consequences of a patient using the drug are immediate and life threatening.

• Class II: Using the drug may cause temporary health consequences but the probability of a serious health issue is remote. 

• Class III: Using the drug is not likely to cause health consequences. 

The vast majority of recalls are classified in that second group, with only 6% considered Class I and 7% considered Class III in 2022. 

To determine if your medication is part of this recall or another, you can contact your pharmacy and they will look up the lot number. The recalled lot numbers are also published online by the FDA. For example, here’s the report from the FDA which lists the lot numbers for the Ziac recall. 

If your medication is indeed part of a recall, you can contact your pharmacy or prescriber to get a new prescription. To discard your medication, take it to a local medication drop box (pharmacies, hospitals, and public health departments have these). If you live in Washington, here’s a handy list of locations around the state. 

In all cases, be sure to talk to your provider! In some instances, it can be more harmful to suddenly stop your medication even in the case of a recall. 

Are you working on improving your blood pressure?

If you are taking medication like Ziac or you’re just working to get your blood pressure to healthier levels, check out this explainer I put together that outlines the basics. In it, there are answers to the most common questions I get from my patients about blood pressure – like what blood pressure really measures, why it’s so important, strategies for lowering yours, and more. 

If you live in Washington state, you can also make an appointment with me. I’d be honored to walk with you on your health journey, including concerns you may have about your blood pressure or overall heart health. 

My approach combines medical care with health coaching. We don’t just focus on symptoms: we look at sleep, nutrition, boundaries, stress, and relationships too. I believe healing happens when all parts of you are invited in. If that sounds like a good fit for you, schedule a visit today. 

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