Many dry cough medicines have been pulled from shelves due to the possibility of a rare and severe allergic reaction.

Patients who are taking cough medicine have been advised to check whether pholcodine is a listed ingredient.

Officials are recalling a number of treatments containing the cough suppressant pholcodine due to safety fears.

The Medicine’s and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has recalled the products as a precaution.

Evidence showed people who had taken the cough medicines were at an increased risk of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) when given general anaesthesia with neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA).

All pholcodine-containing medicines have been dispensed by a healthcare professional from a pharmacy.

Healthcare workers have been told to stop supplying the products and check whether patients who are scheduled to undergo general anaesthesia with NMBAs have used pholcodine in the previous 12 months.

Surgical patients are being advised to tell their anaesthetist before an operation if they think they have taken pholcodine in the last year, or one of the withdrawn medicines.

Professor Claire Anderson, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: “The risk to patients who have used pholcodine is very small. If you are due to have surgery, please speak to your pharmacist or medical team for advice."

The medicines listed by the MHRA as being recalled are:

The Boots Company PLC

  • Boots Night Cough Relief Oral Solution, PL 00014/0230
  • Boots Dry Cough Syrup 6 Years+, PL 00014/0523
  • Boots Day Cold & Flu Relief Oral Solution, PL 00014/0565

Thornton & Ross Limited

  • Cofsed Linctus, PL 00240/0097
  • Care Pholcodine 5mg/5ml Oral Solution Sugar Free, PL 00240/0101
  • Galenphol Linctus, PL 00240/0101
  • Galenphol Paediatric Linctus, PL 00240/0102
  • Galenphol Strong Linctus, PL 00240/0103
  • Covonia Dry Cough Sugar Free Formula, PL 00240/0353

Bell Sons & Company (Druggists) Limited

  • Pholcodine Linctus Bells Healthcare 5mg Per 5ml Oral Solution, PL 03105/0059
  • Numark Pholcodine 5mg per 5ml Oral Solution, PL 03105/0059
  • Well Pharmaceuticals Pholcodine 5mg per 5ml Oral Solution, PL 03105/0059
  • Superdrug Pholcodine Linctus BP, PL 03105/0059
  • Strong Pholcodine Linctus BP, PL 03105/0060

Pinewood Laboratories Limited

  • Pholcodine Linctus BP, PL 04917/0002
  • Strong Pholcodine Linctus BP, PL 04917/0005

LCM Limited

  • Pholcodine Linctus, PL 12965/0030

Glaxosmithkline Consumer Healthcare (UK) Trading Limited

  • Day & Night Nurse Capsules, PL 44673/0068
  • Day Nurse Capsules, PL 44673/0069
  • Day Nurse, PL 44673/0075