Health Canada warns of mislabeled drug

Canadian officials warn there’s a possibility a small quantity of bottles labeled as containing the medication Rofact may, in fact, contain another drug.

Health Canada said some bottles of one lot of Rofact — an antibiotic manufactured by Valeant Canada that’s used to treat tuberculosis and some other infections — might actually contain the drug clonazepam due to a production error. The affected lot number of Rofact is 8K5467 and the Drug Identification Number is 00343617.

Clonazepam is an anti-epileptic medication and has sedating properties.

Consumers who have Rofact (rifampin) at home are advised to check their bottle of medication and confirm that they have the correct, prescribed drug, Health Canada said, explaining that Rofact 300 mg are hard capsules, brown and dark red in color, and the clonazepam pills are orange, round tablets.

People who suspect they might have been mistakenly taking clonazepam instead of Rofact at any time since the middle of December should contact their physician or their public health nurse to obtain the proper medication and treatment advice.

However, patients should not stop taking their prescription until directed by their physician, the federal agency said. Some patients who suspect that they have mistakenly received clonazepam may need to be gradually taken off the drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms under the supervision of their physician.