BREAKING NEWS * 11M bottles of acetaminophen recalled

[zionzr2]

Quote »Nov 9, 9:53 AM EST11M bottles of acetaminophen recalledOther News VideoAdvertisementWASHINGTON (AP) -- A major manufacturer of store-brand acetaminophen recalled 11 million bottles of the pain-relieving pills Thursday after discovering some were contaminated with metal fragments. There were no immediate reports of injuries or illness.Perrigo Co. said it discovered the metal bits during quality-control checks. The company passed 70 million pills through a metal detector and discovered the metal in about 200 caplets, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The fragments ranged in size from "microdots" to portions of wire one-third of an inch long.The recall affects bottles containing various amounts of 500-milligram caplets.Perrigo bills itself as the world's largest manufacturer of store-brand nonprescription drugs. The Allegan, Mich., company did not disclose the chains for which it manufactures the store-brand acetaminophen. A list of batch numbers and store brands affected by the recall was forthcoming, the FDA said.Wal-Mart Stores Inc., CVS Corp., Walgreen Co. and Costco Wholesale Corp. are among the companies Perrigo supplies with health care products, according to company Securities and Exchange Commission filings.Perrigo said the pills contained raw material purchased from a third-party supplier and affected 383 batches.Acetaminophen is best known as the drug in products sold under the Tylenol brand, but is widely available in generic versions. The recall does not affect Tylenol. The recall should not cause a shortage of acetaminophen, the FDA said.The voluntary recall is considered a Class II recall since it covers products that might cause a temporary health problem or pose only a slight threat of a serious nature, according to the FDA.Latest News11M bottles of acetaminophen recalledMed schools warn of drug sales pitchesGlaxo, AstraZeneca shares sinkInteractiveBuy AP Photo ReprintsDocumentRumsfeld's Letter on Ending Army Helicopter Support of Drug Interdiction EffortsSPECIAL SECTIONConsumers with questions can call Perrigo toll free at (877) 546-0454.Consumers who swallow any of the contaminated pills could suffer minor stomach discomfort or possible cuts to the mouth and throat, the FDA said, adding that the risk of serious injury was remote. Anyone who suspects they have been injured should contact their doctor, the agency said.The FDA said Perrigo began investigating after realizing the equipment it uses to make pills was wearing down prematurely.How am i supposed to know if my bottles of Acetaminophine are affected???

[BlueCrush]

Consumers with questions can call Perrigo toll free at (877) 546-0454.

[zionzr2]

New INFO! http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/....htmlQuote »FDA NewsFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEP06-183November 9, 2006Media Inquiries: 301-827-6242Consumer Inquiries:888-INFO-FDAFDA Informs Public of Nationwide Recall of 500mg Strength Store-Brand Acetaminophen CapletsThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is alerting the public to a voluntary recall being conducted by Perrigo Company (Perrigo) of Allegan, Michigan for 383 lots of acetaminophen 500mg caplets manufactured and distributed under various store-brands as a result of small metal fragments found in a small number of these caplets. Approximately 11 million bottles containing varying quantities of acetaminophen 500mg caplets are affected by this recall. For a list of batches affected, please see http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmr....html. Consumers can determine if they are in possession of a recalled product by locating the batch number printed on the container label. A list of stores that carry store-brands potentially affected by this recall is located on FDA's website at http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmr....html.To date, there have been no illness or injuries received related to this problem and no consumer complaints have been reported to the FDA or to Perrigo. Based on information currently available, the FDA believes the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote; however if a consumer were to swallow an affected caplet, it could result in minor stomach discomfort and/or possible cuts to the mouth or throat. Consumers should consult their physician if they suspect they've been harmed by use of this product.Consumers who believe they are in possession of the affected products should discontinue use immediately and call Perrigo's Consumer Affairs Department, 877-546-0454 for further instructions. Any adverse reactions experienced with the use of this product should be reported to Perrigo at the above number and the FDA's MedWatch Program by phone at 800-FDA-1088, by fax at 800-FDA-0178 or on the MedWatch website at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch.FDA is currently investigating the cause of the metal particles found in the acetaminophen 500 mg. caplets. Perrigo originally informed FDA of this problem after discovering through their own regulatory quality control procedures that their tableting equipment was wearing down prematurely. The company is also investigating the cause of the problem. The ongoing investigations have revealed the presence of the metal fragments in caplets of acetaminophen, 500 mg. Perrigo reported to the FDA that 70 million caplets were passed through a metal detector; resulting in the discovery of approximately 200 caplets containing metal fragments ranging in size from "microdots" to portions of wire 8 mm in length.At this time FDA does not anticipate that this action will cause a shortage of acetaminophen. Currently, only one strength (500 mg caplets) is affected. Consumers may wish to take additional amounts of the lower strengths of acetaminophen tablets or caplets, which are not affected by this recall, to reach the 500 mg dose or access acetaminophen produced by alternate manufacturers. In all instances, FDA advises consumers to follow labeled instructions for maximum daily dosage.Perrigo is notifying its distributors and retailers of this issue and will inform them of steps it will take to facilitate product replacement.

[ColonelPanic]

Yikes... I really hope nobody gets hurt or sick from this! What happens to your body if you would have swallowed one with the wire?Well, if there is a bright side to this, at least it wasn't cyanide like Tylenol had in the 1980's...

[Mrizzle05]

i thought we needed a lil iron in our diet?

[ColonelPanic]

Yeah, true dat but watch this stuff be aluminum or somethin'. Anybody checked their stash of pain killers and found you were affected by the recall yet? I checked the bottle I have at home, it came from these guys but i'm ok however I will probably trash it just because.... eek!

[zionzr2]

need to check my wife's stash yet, but I'm clear so far. Wife dosent usually stash those brands or even that type so should be fine. She usually takes excedrine for headaches instead of whatever tylenol.

[ColonelPanic]

I went to Walgreens on my lunch break tonight to get something to snack on that was slightly healthier than what is in the vending machine upstairs... Out of curiosity, I checked the pain relief aisle expecting to see everything pulled off the shelves but the Tylenol but nope... Everything was well stocked, more of a supply of the Walgreens stuff than the name brands as usual. Not even any warnings about the recall. If it was affected, maybe their POS systems have it set to not allow the stuff to be sold. *shrugs* I didn't find it important enough to test.