I stood in the quiet of my apartment kitchen, staring at the Health Canada advisory that had just flashed across my phone. Another birth control recall. Having reported on reproductive health access for nearly a decade, these notices always trigger a familiar knot in my stomach – knowing that somewhere, thousands of women are about to face unexpected stress and potential health risks.
This time, it’s Seasonique, the extended-cycle birth control that allows users just four periods a year instead of the usual twelve. Health Canada announced on Friday that one lot of Seasonique birth control pills has been recalled due to “missing pills” in some packages, potentially leaving users vulnerable to unintended pregnancy.
The recall specifically affects lot 38232A with an expiration date of November 2025. The manufacturer, Teva Canada, initiated the recall after discovering some blister packs may be missing active hormone pills, replacing them with empty pocket spaces or additional inactive pills.
“When I called the pharmacy after seeing the alert, they confirmed my prescription was from the affected lot,” tells me Melissa Chen, a 28-year-old software developer from Vancouver who has been taking Seasonique for two years. “No one contacted me proactively. I only knew because I happened to check the news.”
For users like Chen, the implications go beyond inconvenience. Seasonique’s extended-cycle regimen contains 84 active pills (levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol) followed by 7 inactive pills. Missing even one active pill can reduce protection against pregnancy, according to the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.
Dr. Amanda Wong, a reproductive health specialist at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, explains the medical concerns: “Extended-cycle contraceptives like Seasonique already require strict adherence. When active pills are missing from the pack without the user’s knowledge, it creates a significant gap in hormone levels that can trigger ovulation.”
These hormonal fluctuations don’t just increase pregnancy risk. “Patients might experience breakthrough bleeding, mood changes, and other side effects they wouldn’t attribute to packaging errors,” Dr. Wong adds.
The recall highlights broader issues within Canada’s reproductive healthcare landscape. According to a 2023 report from the Canadian Pharmacists Association, contraceptive supply disruptions have increased by 35% over the past five years. The causes range from manufacturing quality control issues to global supply chain disruptions.
Sarah Dimitrova, policy director at Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, points to systemic concerns: “We see these recalls as symptoms of a larger problem around reproductive health access. When contraception is unreliable – whether through recall, cost barriers, or geographic limitations – it’s women and people with uteruses who bear the health and social consequences.”
I visited three pharmacies across downtown Vancouver yesterday, speaking with pharmacists about how they’re handling the recall. At each location, staff described scrambling to identify affected patients while managing already heavy workloads.
“We have over 200 patients on Seasonique in this location alone,” explains pharmacist Devon Williams at a busy downtown location. “We’re prioritizing calls to those with the affected lot number, but it’s time-consuming to check each prescription record manually.”
Williams’ pharmacy has already received dozens of anxious calls. “Many women are concerned about pregnancy risk, especially since they might have been taking incomplete packs for weeks without knowing.”
Health Canada recommends users of Seasonique check their packages against the recalled lot information. Those with affected products should continue taking their remaining pills but use backup contraception until they can obtain a replacement prescription.
The financial impact falls squarely on patients. While Teva has established a customer service line for concerns, navigating replacement coverage through insurance plans presents another layer of complexity for users. Those without drug coverage face out-of-
