Drug and medication recalls in CanadaRecent recalls, what to do, and how to get alerted
Updated September 2026 · Sourced from Health Canada
Every year hundreds of pharmaceuticals and health products are recalled for critical safety defects. So far in 2026, there have been 332 unique health-product recall notices in Canada (71 pharmaceutical-drug, 266 medical-device and 12 natural-health/other records; subtype counts overlap on cross-categorized advisories and therefore sum above 332) — that is more than one recall every single day.
How can patients and those that use medicines keep themselves protected? How can hospitals, clinics and health service providers ensure best treatments for their patients? Just a few hours of delay might mean the consumption of recalled drugs.
The media and the government are inefficient in disseminating critical recall information to consumers. Often times it takes days or weeks before a major recall is announced by the media.
Consumers are asked to be proactive, but they are at the mercy of slow channels to receive important news. Some recalls aren't even mentioned anywhere except official channels.
332 health recalls so far in 2026.
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Notable drug recalls in Canada, 2026
These are the recalls that made the news. Health Canada posted more than 70 drug recalls in the same period; most never get a headline.
Hospitals, clinics and health centers can serve their patients better, and provide effective treatment. Oversights in missing recalled drugs can cause huge issues, like the case of a blood pressure medication that was recalled, and patients were left in the dark or the diabetes drug that was the subject of a class-action.
Below are common categories of drug and health product recalls monitored in Canada.
Dozens of recalls are issued each year for unauthorized drugs and health products that pose serious risks to consumers.
Even prescription-strength formulations can enter Canada without authorization through online retailers and informal importers. Slenderizing products, enhancement pills, eye drops, and topical creams frequently contain unapproved active ingredients that are dangerous without medical supervision.
One example is the Xpanther 9x unauthorized health product.
Blood pressure medications like losartan, valsartan, and irbesartan have been the focus of widespread international safety alerts.
Multiple lots have faced recalls due to contamination with nitrosamine impurities (such as NDMA and NDEA) exceeding acceptable daily intake limits. Because these maintenance medications are taken daily, undetected impurities pose cumulative long-term health risks.
Nitrosamine impurities in valsartan (2018), losartan and irbesartan (2019–2021), and the 2026 MAR-Amlodipine wrong-drug recall are covered in depth on our blood pressure medication recalls in Canada page.
Topical treatments — including sunscreens, acne treatments, antiseptics, and pain-relief lotions — are frequently recalled for chemical impurities, improper labeling, or microbial contamination.
Examples include topical pain lotions and the Cromolyn eye drops recall.
Over-the-counter and prescription pain medications are recalled for dosage inconsistencies, dissolution failures, and packaging defects.
Recalled products have included lots of ibuprofen, acetaminophen, topical analgesics, and extended-release prescription opioids where improper dosing or packaging creates acute safety hazards.
Health Canada issues notices across a broad range of therapeutic classes, from everyday over-the-counter items to specialized life-saving medications.
Recalled categories include arthritis treatments, dialysis solutions, sleep aids, ADHD medications, and oncology therapies. Health product alerts are among the most time-sensitive recalls in Canada.
Examples include the Webber Naturals Fibre 4 recall, the Euthanyl Forte animal euthanasia product shortage, and the Mentor saline breast implant recall.
Health Canada's 2026 data includes 266 medical-device-labelled records among 332 unique health notices (some advisories carry overlapping subtype labels). See medical device recalls in Canada.
What to do if your medication is recalled
- Check the DIN and lot number on the bottle against the notice.
- Do not stop taking a prescription drug without talking to a pharmacist or your doctor (Health Canada's standard advice).
- Return recalled lots to the pharmacy for replacement or safe disposal.
- Report any adverse reactions or side effects to Health Canada via MedEffect Canada.
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Information presented from Recalls and Safety Alerts dataset, provided by the Government of Canada through the Open Government initiative and is subject to the Open Government License.
You can access this data free of charge via Recall Monitor, or through the Healthy Canadians website.
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