How to Take Action After a Medicine or Product Recall

Learning that your prescription drug or medical product is being recalled can be concerning. According to pharmacist Deborah Simonson, in the United States, manufacturers remove about 4,500 drugs and medical products from the market each year for various reasons. While the majority of these recalls from the FDA are viewed as minor, with no reason to panic, at Morgan & Morgan, we believe it is important to stay informed over how you can help yourself steer clear of any potential harm for you or your loved ones. If you are currently experiencing adverse side effects or an emergency due to a recalled drug or product, immediately reach out to a medical professional or dial 911.

If you believe you or someone you know has been injured, fallen ill, or needs more information behind a recall, you can contact our attorney’s offices today. Fill out our free, no-obligation case evaluation form, and a Morgan & Morgan representative will contact you.

Why Do Recalls Happen?

Most commonly, recalls are an action taken by a firm to remove a product from the market. Reasons for a recall may include but are not limited to, quality of the drug or product, presence of foreign material, issues with the label, or even contamination. These recalls are often conducted on the firm’s initiative, by the request of the FDA, or if necessary by an FDA order under statutory authority. When recalls happen, depending on the severity of their case, the medications or products are categorized under a specific class.

Below we’ve listed the most common classes a recalled product can fall into.

Class I Recall: There is a significant probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause severe adverse health consequences or even death.

Class II Recall: The use of or exposure to a violative product might cause temporary or medically reversible harmful health consequences or where the probability of severe health consequences is possible.

Class III Recall: The use of or exposure to a violative product is not likely to cause harmful health consequences.

There are also two other commonly used categories of recall used by the FDA. The first is “market withdrawal”, which typically occurs when a product has a minor violation, and the firm will remove the product from the market or even correct the violation. The second is known as a “medical device safety alert”– where a medical device might present an unreasonable risk of substantial harm. In certain conditions, these cases may also be considered recalls.

How Can I Tell if My Product Has Been Recalled?

If you believe your medication may have been recalled, there are a few ways you can verify this information. First, you can visit the website to check the status of all your prescription medications. 

Then when on the site, follow these four easy steps:

Step 1: In the Search field, type in the brand name or product description. For example, search for Advil products or the generic ibuprofen name.

Step 2: To help narrow down your search results, click on the “Product Type” dropdown menu. 

Step 3: Once you have a list of drugs that match your search, click on the “Export Excel” button to download it.

Step 4: If your product is on the list, click on the name, and it will direct you to a page summary with the details behind the product recall.

The summary page may also provide answers on how to return a defective product and contact information for the manufacturer responsible. According to the FDA, the results on this page are provided by press releases and other public notices. If your product has a recall but is not listed on the search, your next best option is to look through the Enforcement Reports program. Here you’ll find more information on all recalls or pending recalls soon after the FDA has classified them. However, we do advise you to speak to your primary care provider or a medical professional to learn more.

Contact an Attorney if You Believe You’re a Victim

It is essential to know what medications or products you use are labeled as safe to use when it comes to your health. If you or a loved one have been injured or have fallen ill due to a recalled drug or product, our attorneys want to help you. For more information, contact our attorney’s offices today by filling out our free, no-obligation case review form, and our legal team will be in touch.