Check Your Vitamin B12 Injection Against DRAP's 2026 Recall Alerts in Pakistan

Short answer: DRAP recall alerts 22 (14 April 2026) and 35 (18 June 2026) name six vitamin B12 injections that failed lab tests: Neocobal (two batches), Mecojin, Metiver, Hicobal and Murcobal. Look at the brand and batch number on the ampoule box. If it matches, stop using it and tell your pharmacist.

A vitamin B12 injection is one of the most common shots given at a clinic in Pakistan. It is cheap, it is quick, and many people take it without a second thought. That is why a recall alert for these injections matters. The product in your hand may not be what the label says.

We read recall alerts 22 and 35 on the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) website on 14 October 2026. Both alerts come from the Drug Testing Laboratory of the Punjab government. This page lists only what DRAP printed. It does not say the whole brand is bad. The alert names single batches.

Six B12 injection batches are on DRAP's recall lists

Alert 22 lists Neocobal batch S-2988, Mecojin batch 25A082, Metiver batch 25J438 and Hicobal batch HT13437. Alert 35 adds Neocobal batch S-3052 and Murcobal batch 109. Each failed a lab test for strength or for being adulterated.

The table below puts the batches side by side. Compare the brand, the strength and the batch number on your box. The batch number is usually printed near the expiry date.

An assay failure means the strength is not what the label says

An assay is the lab test that measures how much of the medicine is in the product. A failed assay means the amount does not match the label. Adulteration means something else was found in the product, or a different form of the ingredient.

In these alerts the lab found cyanocobalamin in some products sold as mecobalamin. Both are forms of vitamin B12. DRAP does not explain in the alert what that means for each patient, so we do not guess. The point is simple: the box and the lab result did not agree, and that is why the batch was recalled.

Check your own box in five steps

Take the ampoule box, find the brand name, the strength and the batch number, and compare all three with the table. If the clinic gave you the injection without the box, ask to see it. A match on the brand alone is not enough.

1. Find the brand name and strength on the box, for example 0.5 mg/ml.
2. Find the batch number. It may be marked B.No. or Batch.
3. Compare the brand, strength and batch with the six rows above.
4. If all match, do not use the injection and keep the box.
5. Tell the pharmacy or clinic that sold it, and report it to DRAP.

A different batch of the same brand is not on the list. Do not throw away every box of that brand. Check the batch each time. For the wider method, see how to check if your medicine batch has been recalled by DRAP.

DRAP told shops to remove the batches and return the stock

Alert 22 directs market removal, with stock quarantined and returned to the supplier. Alert 35 tells pharmacists to check their stocks, stop supplying the products and send the rest back to the company. A pharmacy should not sell these batches.

If you see one of these batches on a shelf, you can say so politely and ask the pharmacist to check the alert. The alert text is on the DRAP site. Pharmacists in Punjab need a valid licence, and you can check if a pharmacy is licensed in Punjab before you buy.

The laboratory in both alerts is in Punjab. Where else the batches were sold is not stated. If you live in another province, still check the box.

Report a bad product to DRAP

You can report a product quality problem to DRAP on the online quality defects form or by email to gsms@dra.gov.pk. The helpline printed on alert 35 is 0800-03727, open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm. Keep the box and the receipt.

If you felt unwell after an injection, tell your doctor first. You can then report a medicine side effect to DRAP. For a suspected fake, the steps to report counterfeit medicine to DRAP apply.

We did not test any injection ourselves. We only read the alert pages. We cannot tell you whether a box in your home is from a bad batch unless the batch number matches the table.

Common questions

Is every Neocobal injection unsafe?

No. The alerts name batch S-2988 in alert 22 and batch S-3052 in alert 35. Other batches are not on the lists. Check the batch number every time.

Where do I find the batch number?

It is printed on the box and on the ampoule, usually next to the manufacturing and expiry dates. It may be written as B.No. or Batch No.

What does cyanocobalamin mean in the alert?

It is a form of vitamin B12. The lab found it in some products sold as mecobalamin. That means the product did not match its label.

I already took one of these injections. What should I do?

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist and show them the box. If you feel unwell, get medical care. DRAP's alerts do not give treatment advice for patients who already used the batches.

Can I return a recalled box to the pharmacy?

Alert 35 tells pharmacists to quarantine stock and return it to the supplier. Ask the shop to take the box back. Keep a photo of the box and the receipt.

Do these alerts cover vitamin B12 tablets or syrups?

No. The batches in both alerts are injections only. Tablets and syrups are not named.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 14 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read DRAP recall alert I/S/03-26-22 and DRAP recall alert I/S/06-26-35 on dra.gov.pk. Alert 35 did not give manufacturing or expiry dates. We did not test any product. DRAP can add or change alerts, so check the DRAP site or call 0800-03727 before you act. This page is not medical advice.