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Can You Get A Refund For Mibelas 24 Fe Birth Control?

by Keiko Zoll

Last month, Lupin Pharmaceuticals announced a recall of its Mibelas 24 Fe birth control pills, which could result in unintended pregnancies due to placebo pills being placed in the wrong part of the pack where active hormone pills should go. Obviously, if you've been prescribed Mibelas 24 Fe for hormonal birth control, you'll definitely want to make sure you've got a backup form of birth control and definitely give your health care provider a call. The FDA recall alert advises consumers to call their doctors, as well as returning the affected product to where it was purchased — but can you get a refund for your Mibelas 24 Fe birth control?

While the FDA recall notice didn't mention anything about a monetary refund, some women are still paying co-pays for their birth control, despite the birth control provision within the Affordable Care Act. While most would assume that all birth control is both covered and free, it's not: The ACA requires at least one form of each of the 16 available types of birth control must be covered without a co-pay. So, it's entirely possible you could have health insurance, but Mibelas 24 Fe isn't one of the forms of birth control covered — which means getting your money back for the affected Mibelas 24 Fe medication lot could be pretty important to you depending on what you paid. According to Pulse Headlines, consumers can return Mibelas 24 Fe to where they were purchased for a full refund.

According to the Mibelas 24 Fe FDA recall alert, consumers can also call Lupin Pharmaceuticals at 1-800-399-2561 to find out more information about the recall and possible refunds. I called the number myself, and a Lupin Pharmaceuticals representative directed me to a separate phone number dedicated to the Mibelas 24 Fe birth control recall. Save yourself a step and call 1-855-633-1428: FexEd Supply Chain is a third-party company handling both refunds and replacements, according to the Lupin representative with whom I spoke.

However, the FedEx Supply Chain rep I spoke to wouldn't give me the full details on how exactly to acquire a refund should a patient have one of the affected lots of the defective birth control pills. Representatives for Lupin Pharmaceuticals didn't immediately return Romper's request for clarification and further comment. (That said, your best bet for a refund on Mibelas 24 Fe is to call either of the numbers during standard business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time.)

The Mibelas 24 Fe birth control recall affects a very specific lot of affected medications, with lot number L600518 and an expiration date of May 31, 2018. If you've taken these pills, you'll definitely want to call your health care provider about backup birth control options in the interim: Due to a manufacturing error, placebo pills were placed in the spots for active pills within the blister packs. According to the FDA alert, there have been no reports of adverse effects from this recall.