Personal Injury Law

Children's Pain Medicine Recall Raises More Questions

By Jamie G. Goldstein

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a recall for all Johnson & Johnson children's liquid pain relievers including Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec, and Benadryl medications. A complete list of recalled medications can be found here.

The explanation provided for the recall was that the products contained the wrong amounts of active and inactive ingredients. The FDA states the chance of serious injury as a result of ingesting these medicines is 'remote,' but the sweeping nature of the recall has ignited anxiety in many parents about the possibility of harm befalling their children. A recent FDA inspection of a Pennsylvania facility found an unsettling lack of quality-control in manufacturing, including machinery covered in dust and mended with duct tape. The House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has opened an investigation into whether or not consumer complaints about foreign particles in these medicines were overlooked. Although Johnson & Johnson's swift action in recalling these products is commendable, the laxity of regulation by both the corporation and the FDA remains alarming.

Parents are advised to not administer any of these medications to children and manufacturing has been suspended. In the meantime, the FDA recommends using generic product alternatives for treatment.

Full post as published by Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer on May 10, 2010 (boomark / email).