In recent months, health care product manufacturer Johnson & Johnson has been the subject of multiple recalls and products liability lawsuits after numerous complaints about several of the company’s products ranging from children’s pain relievers to birth control medication to artificial hips. Because of these seemingly continual product malfunctions, it hardly even seems newsworthy when a new Johnson & Johnson recall is announced. However, the importance of the items manufactured by the company – medication, infant and child care products, health care necessities – it is important to continue to pay attention when Johnson & Johnson announces yet another recall, as it did late last week.
The latest recall is for certain lots of Sudafed, Benadryl, Sinutab and Tylenol, cold, allergy and pain medications that are widely sold and used throughout the United States. This recall will be less visible to consumers, as it primarily concerns medications sold at the wholesale level and not for retail sales, but it may make such products less readily available in drugstores.
The potentially defective products were recalled by McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of Johnson & Johnson that is located in Pennsylvania. The announced recall covers medications that were manufactured at the McNeil plant before April 2010. At that time, the plant suspended production due to allegations of insufficient cleaning procedures. The medications were recalled as a precautionary measure following a review of past production records which showed that cleaning was negligently done throughout the plant.
In addition to the cold medications, McNeil has also issued a voluntary recall of Rolaids multi-symptom berry tablet so the company can update the labeling. These recalls are only the latest in a mass McNeil recall that has spanned two years and that has taken tens of millions of bottles of children’s and adults cold and pain medications off the market.
If you or a family member has been injured as a result of a defective product, please contact Breslin & Breslin for a free consultation.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal, “Another Johnson & Johnson recall”, John George, 17 January 2011
