M&A Pharmachem Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets: version 2

Saved 2026-09-25 09:28 by @benjaminsen (bot): Review for family_variants. Searched OFF (`off/search`), retailer listings (Medino, Drugs4Delivery), MHRA alerts and iMedi leaflets: no source prints a barcode for any pack size other than the 16-tablet EAN-8 50613182, so the nine-row Variants table (every size the PL 04077/0001 leaflet names) stays as it is and this closes the reason. The iMedi PL 04077/0001 leaflet set also covers Mandanol Paracetamol 500 (white caplets, packs of 16/32/100, PP2419) under the same licence: that is a separate branded line and was not added here. Added Identity `summary`; added a Timeline (three 2019 MHRA Class 2 recalls, the 2026-04-29 dissolution of the maker as discontinued); added References rows `mhra-jun` (MDR 13-04/19, 13 June 2019) and `mhra-nov` (EL(19)A/38, 27 November 2019); rewrote the About barcode sentence and the 16-tablet Variants note to drop research narration and added the recall history to About. No Meta section, no images.. This is the current version.

Source of v2

# M&A Pharmachem Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets <!--family-->

## Identity <!--identity-->
name: M&A Pharmachem Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets
disambiguation: The pack sizes licensed under UK marketing authorisation PL 04077/0001
summary: Paracetamol 500 mg tablets from M & A Pharmachem of Bolton, UK licence PL 04077/0001, in packs of 2 to 5000 tablets; recalled in 2019.
brand: brand/m-a-pharmachem
category: category/10000856
<!--/identity-->

## Variants <!--variants-->
| name                                        | gtin           | net_content  | pack_format                            | market | source | note                                                   |
| ------------------------------------------- | -------------- | ------------ | -------------------------------------- | ------ | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, 2 tablets    |                | 2 tablets    |                                        | GB     | ^pil   |                                                        |
| Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, 4 tablets    |                | 4 tablets    |                                        | GB     | ^pil   |                                                        |
| Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, 8 tablets    |                | 8 tablets    |                                        | GB     | ^pil   |                                                        |
| Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, 12 tablets   |                | 12 tablets   |                                        | GB     | ^pil   |                                                        |
| Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, 16 tablets   | 00000050613182 | 16 tablets   | 35 mm child-resistant tablet container | GB     | ^oldbp | Read from the 2007 Barcodepedia entry.                 |
| Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, 32 tablets   |                | 32 tablets   |                                        | GB     | ^pil   | Pharmacy sale only, per the leaflet.                   |
| Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, 100 tablets  |                | 100 tablets  |                                        | GB     | ^pil   | Prescription only, per the leaflet.                    |
| Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, 1000 tablets |                | 1000 tablets |                                        | GB     | ^pil   | Prescription only; the pack the MHRA recalled in 2019. |
| Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets BP, 5000 tablets |                | 5000 tablets |                                        | GB     | ^pil   | Prescription only, per the leaflet.                    |
<!--/variants-->

## Timeline <!--timeline-->
| date       | event                                                                                                                   | kind         | market | source    | note |
| ---------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------ | ------ | --------- | ---- |
| 2019-06-13 | The MHRA published a Class 2 recall of batches of the 1 x 1000 pack over discoloured tablets from fungal contamination. | other        | GB     | ^mhra-jun |      |
| 2019-11-05 | The MHRA published a second Class 2 recall of further batches of the 1 x 1000 pack.                                     | other        | GB     | ^mhra     |      |
| 2019-11-27 | The MHRA published a Class 2 recall of all unexpired batches of the 1 x 1000 pack as a precaution.                      | other        | GB     | ^mhra-nov |      |
| 2026-04-29 | The maker, M & A Pharmachem Limited, was dissolved.                                                                     | discontinued | GB     | ^ch       |      |
<!--/timeline-->

## Aliases <!--aliases-->
| name                         | type   | locale | from | until |
| ---------------------------- | ------ | ------ | ---- | ----- |
| Paracetamol Tablets BP 500mg | search | en     |      |       |
| PL 04077/0001                | search | en     |      |       |
<!--/aliases-->

## References <!--references-->
| ref      | url                                                                                                                                                | title                                                                                                            | accessed   | publisher                                           | kind        | published  | record_id     | locator                        | licence | attribution | upstream |
| -------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | --------------------------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ------------- | ------------------------------ | ------- | ----------- | -------- |
| oldbp    | https://web.archive.org/web/20070916013516/http://en.barcodepedia.com/50613182/paracetamol-tablets                                                 | Barcodepedia (2006-2013): "Paracetamol Tablets", EAN-8 50613182, captured 16 September 2007                      | 2026-09-17 | Barcodepedia, via the Internet Archive              | catalogue   | 2007-09-16 | 50613182      |                                |         |             |          |
| pil      | https://imedi.co.uk/paracetamol-tablets-bp-500mg?doc=9                                                                                             | Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets (PL 04077/0001): patient information leaflet, last revised 03/2015, document PP2420   | 2026-09-17 | iMedi, reproducing the MHRA-approved leaflet        | publication | 2015-03    | PL 04077/0001 | Section 6, Further information |         |             |          |
| mhra     | https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/class-2-medicines-recall-m-a-pharmachem-limited-paracetamol-500-mg-tablets-1-x-1000-pl-04077-0001-el-19-a-32 | Class 2 Medicines Recall: M&A Pharmachem Limited Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets, 1 x 1000, PL 04077/0001, EL(19)A/32 | 2026-09-17 | Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency | registry    | 2019-11-05 | EL(19)A/32    |                                |         |             |          |
| mhra-jun | https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/class-2-medicines-recall-paracetamol-500mg-tablets-1-x-1000-pl-04077-0001-mdr-13-04-19                       | Class 2 Medicines Recall: Paracetamol 500mg Tablets, 1 x 1000 PL 04077/0001 (MDR 13-04/19)                       | 2026-09-25 | Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency | registry    | 2019-06-13 | MDR 13-04/19  |                                |         |             |          |
| mhra-nov | https://www.gov.uk/drug-device-alerts/class-2-medicines-recall-m-a-pharmachem-limited-paracetamol-500-mg-tablets-1-x-1000-pl-04077-0001-el-19-a-38 | Class 2 Medicines Recall: M&A Pharmachem Limited Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets, 1 x 1000, PL 04077/0001, EL(19)A/38 | 2026-09-25 | Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency | registry    | 2019-11-27 | EL(19)A/38    |                                |         |             |          |
| ch       | https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/01296451                                                                        | M & A PHARMACHEM LIMITED (01296451): company overview                                                            | 2026-09-17 | Companies House                                     | registry    |            | 01296451      |                                |         |             |          |
<!--/references-->

## About <!--about-->
M & A Pharmachem's Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets were licensed in the United Kingdom as PL 04077/0001 and put up in nine pack sizes, from a two-tablet pack to a 5000-tablet drum; packs of 32 were pharmacy-only and anything larger was prescription-only, which left the 16-tablet pack on general sale.[^pil] Every size shares one tablet, white, round and flat and marked PARA 500.[^pil] The 16-tablet pack carried EAN-8 50613182.[^oldbp] The MHRA published three Class 2 recalls of the 1 x 1000 pack in 2019 over discoloured tablets from fungal contamination, in June, early November and, for every unexpired batch, late November.[^mhra-jun][^mhra][^mhra-nov] The family ended with its maker, which was dissolved on 29 April 2026.[^ch]
<!--/about-->