Health Canada recently recalled two lots of Seasonale, a popular birth control product. On June 4, 2025, the company announced the recall. This recall was initiated after it was found that the packages contained too many placebo pills. This misalignment risks limiting users’ contraceptive efficacy.
Seasonale is intended to package a 91-day supply of birth control into one pack, which is made up of three blister cards. Each of the first two blister cards has 28 active, pink-colored pills. The third blister card has 28 active pills as well as 7 white placebo pills. The purpose of the placebo pills is to allow for a withdrawal bleed while maintaining the regimen of active hormonal pills.
According to Health Canada, the recall was initiated after discovering that the affected lots included more placebo pills than intended. This has the potential to seriously confuse consumers about how much active medication they’re truly getting. In turn, the effectiveness of the method of birth control could be undermined. Health officials are keen to stress that the drug is most effective if patients stick to a consistent pill schedule.
The potentially contaminated lots of Seasonale are being removed from retail shelving and healthcare facilities to stop what could be continued distribution. Healthcare providers and patients are urged to proactively inspect stocks for the affected lots. If they discover any impacted packages, they need to stop using them right away.
If you think you might have these lots, contact your doctor or healthcare provider for advice on switching to other types of contraception. They can walk you through how to take control of your birth control until you’re able to obtain the safe and effective supply you need.
