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Johnson & Johnson Motrin recall: 12m bottles of pain relief medicine withdrawn in US | Mail Online.
More trouble for Johnson & Johnson as 12million bottles of Motrin pain relief withdrawn
By Damien Gayle
Last updated at 11:15 AM on 23rd December 2011
Drugs company Johnson & Johnson has recalled 12million bottles of it’s Motrin pain reliever medicine from stores across the U.S.
The withdrawal of the drug, for at least the sixth time in two years, is the latest in a string of more than two dozen product withdrawals by the healthcare giant in recent years.
The recall, by the healthcare giant’s McNeil subsidiary, is not prompted by safety fears, but rather a concern that ‘there may be a delay in experiencing relief’.
Recalled: Johnson & Johnson have withdrawn 12million bottles of Motrin ibuprofen in the latest problem to hit the troubled drug giant
A statement from the company explained: ‘McNeil is recalling these products because testing of product samples showed that some caplets may not dissolve as quickly as intended when nearing their expiration date.
‘Out of an abundance of caution, we are recalling all the listed products since there is a chance they could experience a similar problem as they approach expiration.’
The varieties recalled include: Motrin IB 24 count coated caplets, Motrin IB 24 count coated caplets and Motrin IB 24+6 count coated caplets.
A STRING OF PROBLEMS AT JOHNSON & JOHNSON
The Motrin recall is just the latest problem to hit troubled healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson.
Since September 2009, the firm has recalled a host of prescription and non-prescription medicines, as well as replacement hip joints, contact lenses and diabetes test strips.
Among the recalls were tens of millions of bottles of children’s and adult Tylenol and Motrin, Benadryl, Zyrtec, Rolaids and Simply Sleep pills.
The prescription drug recalls have included HIV medicine Prezista and epilepsy pill Topamax.
Reasons for the recalls have ranged from contamination with metal shards and class particles, to nauseating odors and inaccurate levels of active drug ingredients.
The recalls have cost the company $900 million in 2010 alone in lost revenue from products not being on store shelves, on top of costs for upgrading factories and legal expenses.
A spokesman for the company told the Associated Press only retailers need send back packages, as there’s no safety risks to consumers.
She said: ‘It’s 59 product lots. It’s about 12 million bottles.’ The lot numbers are listed on the Motrin website and can be found on the side of the carton label.
The recalled products were distributed in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Fiji, Belize, St. Lucia and Jamaica, according to the recall statement.
Consumers with questions can call Johnson & Johnson’s Consumer Call Center at 1-888-222-6036, Monday to Friday, from 8am to 8pm Eastern Time.
The drugs were made between February 2009 and July 2011. Some were produced by a contract manufacturer, but others at Johnson &Johnson’s factory in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico.
The Puerto Rico plant is one of three of the company’s sites that have been under extra scrutiny by the Food and Drug Administration over problems with manufacturing quality.
Troubles: Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare plant in Pennsylvania was shut down last year after serious problems were discovered
Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare factory in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, has been closed since spring 2010 because of serious problems.
The company is in the process of completely gutting and rebuilding the factory.
Along with the FDA, Congress has been investigating the handling of the manufacturing problems and recalls by executives at the company, which stresses in its corporate credo its responsibility to the doctors, patients and parents who use its products.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2077966/Johnson–Johnson-Motrin-recall-12m-bottles-pain-relief-medicine-withdrawn-US.html#ixzz1hXYMhx2D
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