Over the Counter Drug Recall

[dcompton]

I work at a medical library and this information was sent to all of us yesterday via e-mail from a member of our systems staff. I thought I would pass if on, in case you haven't heard.


Subject: Novartis Consumer Health Inc. Voluntarily Recalls All Lots of Over-the-Counter Products Exedrin, Bufferin, Gas-X Prevention and NoDoz
Category: Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Published: 01/09/2012 12:00 pm

________________________________________
Novartis Consumer Health Inc. is voluntarily recalling all lots of over-the-counter products Exedrin, Bufferin, Gas-X Prevention and NoDoz. Reports were received of chipped and broken pills and inconsistent bottle packaging clearance practices at the Lincoln, Nebraska facility, which could result in the bottles containing foreign tablets, caplets, or capsules.

This voluntary recall pertains to all lots of select bottle packaging configurations from retailers of Excedrin and Nodoz products (expiry dates of December 20, 2014 or earlier), and Bufferin and Gax-X Products (expiry dates of December 20, 2013 or earlier), in the United States

Mixing of different products in the same bottle could result in consumers taking the incorrect product and receiving a higher or lower strength than intended or receiving an unintended ingredient. This could potentially result in overdose, interaction with other medications a consumer may be taking, or an allergic reaction if the consumer is allergic to the unintended ingredient.

RECOMMENDATION: All of the pills in the bottle should look the same. If patients find a pill that is different in shape, size, color, or markings, they should bring their medicine bottle to their pharmacist and not take any of those pills.

Consumers that have the product(s) being recalled should stop using them and contact the Novartis Consumer Relationship Center at 1-888-477-2403 (available Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time) for information on how to return the affected products.
Healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of these products to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

[NikoSan999]

I heard this on the news either yesterday or this morning. What's really scary is the part "Excedrin and Nodoz products (expiry dates of December 20, 2014 or earlier), and Bufferin and Gax-X Products (expiry dates of December 20, 2013 or earlier)".

I mean, earlier than when? I have some that the expiration date was like 2007 or 2008...(expiration dates don't normally mean squat to me ) does that mean they're recalled? Does this mean they have no idea when the problem actually started? This could have been going on for years.

"This could potentially result in overdose, interaction with other medications a consumer may be taking, or an allergic reaction if the consumer is allergic to the unintended ingredient."
No duh! If this has been an ongoing thing for years how many people ended up in the emergency room a couple years ago and no one had a clue....or died even...

They voluntarily recalled...wow! that's mighty heroic of them to do it voluntarily. Yes, I went off when I heard it on the news also. I take Excederin and hubby takes GasX...was NOT a happy camper. If I pull a pill out of the bottle I don't look beyond the first one out of that bottle to see if it's correct and honestly, most of them look alike.

[dcompton]

It seems to me from the recommendation that if all the pills look identical and are undamaged they should be ok. It sounds like a packaging problem more than any defect in the medication itself. But that's just my take on it.

[frugalfranny]

It seems to me from the recommendation that if all the pills look identical and are undamaged they should be ok. It sounds like a packaging problem more than any defect in the medication itself. But that's just my take on it.

I sort of gathered, from reading the article on-line after I heard the news, that some of the pills (of those 4 recalled) possibly got mixed up................don't know how different they are..........sounds like they must be packaged on the
'same line'........and a mix up could have happened.