In the event that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or a drug manufacturing company issues a recall of a medication, how can you identify whether or not your medication is included in that recall? In most situations, you can make this determination by looking at the drug's lot number. Sometimes, an entire line of a drug will be recalled, but in other circumstances, only certain lot numbers are recalled. This can happen when there is contamination or some other type of error during the manufacturing process.
Recalls from the United States FDA
The United States FDA frequently issues recalls, and you can stay up-to-date with those drug recalls by viewing the FDA website. The FDA even has a twitter account so consumers can view recalls as they happen. The most recent drug recall issued by the FDA was for the drug Sandoz. Two lots of these vial injections are being recalled due to contamination. The affected lots are CL0996 and CJ4948. As you can see, the FDA typically announces recalls by lot number. If you are not sure what lot number your medication came from, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
In other drug recall cases, the FDA might choose to subject a drug to further testing. This may happen because of reports of adverse side effects. After more careful review, the FDA will only recall a drug if the risks outweigh the actual benefits. If the benefits are still greater than the risks, then the drug will stay on the market, possibly with more side effect information on its warning label.
If you have questions or concerns about the medication you are taking or a specific drug recall, please get in touch with an injury attorney from our firm. At Stern Law Group, our lawyers fight aggressively on behalf of victims injured by dangerous drugs and seek to inform consumers of their rights after this type of injury. For a free consultation, please call today.