Posts Tagged ‘“medicine recall”’

Parents are advised to stop using 43 popular over-the-counter medications for children following a widespread product safety recall involving liquid Tylenol, Motrin and Benadryl.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of Johnson & Johnson, voluntarily recalled the medications last Friday after the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) uncovered manufacturing deficiencies at the company’s plant in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.

The product safety recall impacts consumers in Massachusetts, the rest of the United States, U.S. territories and nine other countries.

“While Tylenol has historically been a safe and effective product for children, parents are urged to use particular caution in giving it to their children at this time based upon the information received from the FDA,” Boston attorney Ronald Gluck said.

McNeil said some of the recalled products may contain a higher concentration of the active ingredient than is specified while others may contain inactive ingredients that do not meet internal testing requirements. Other medications may contain tiny particles.

The FDA advised parents to discontinue use of the recalled medications, although said it was unaware of any reports of illness. A spokesman for McNeil told The New York Times this weekend the company had received consumer complaints involving some of the recalled medications, but the recall was not issued on “the basis of adverse medical events.”

McNeil has suspended production at the facility while the FDA investigates.

The recalled medicines include various flavors of liquid Tylenol, Motrin and Benadryl for children and infants. Several types of children’s Zyrtec were also recalled.

The FDA advised parents to ask their pharmacists for alternative medicine options and cautioned them against giving adult versions of medications to children. Consumers with the recalled medications can also obtain a refund or coupon from the McNeil Product Recall website.

Read the full McNeil Product Recall list here.

McNeil has been involved with three major Tylenol recalls since 2008. In January, the company removed 51 types of Tylenol from the shelves after consumer complaints about vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms. All but two of the recalled medications were for adults.The company said some of the medications had been contaminated by trace amounts of a chemical sometimes used for shipping and storage.

In 2008, McNeil recalled 21 types of children’s and infants’ Tylenol liquid products, saying an active ingredient did not meet all quality standards.
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