Johnson & Johnson Recalls Some More Medicines
4 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // June 15th, 2010 // 4:35 pm
This latest step involves five product lots of Benadryl and Extra Strength Tylenol, and expands the Jan. 15 recall, which was linked to trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole, or TBA, a chemical used in wooden pallets that transport and store packaging materials. This created a musty odor found in Tylenol Arthritis Relief Caplets. Why the additional recall? The products were “inadvertently omitted” from the January withdrawal.
That initial recall was the first sign of what has since become known as a much larger quality-control problem at Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit, which was criticized for failing to move faster in light of consumer complaints over the musty smells (see this).
Since then, of course, the issue has snowballed as millions of bottles of over-the-counter pediatric meds were recalled, Congress opened an investigation and the FDA is considering criminal charges. J&J continues to maintain its worked closely with the FDA in a “transparent” way, although the company has been locked in a duel with the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform over allegations its contractors conducted a phantom recall in order to downplay the extent of its quality-control problems (background).
HELLO
Where do parents to go to report their Oh My
G-ds — and compare health problems their child may have had subsequent to using any one or combination of the tainted pediatric products?
Talk continues about the corporate and regulatory end of this while families appear to have no help in determining if their child has indeed been harmed. Guess we’ll have to wait for the attorney ads on television.
Like the song — How long has this been going on? When was the last acceptable inspection of the facilities?
Perhaps this is the story that will help account for some of the too easily accepted increases in children’s health problems — e.g. allergies, asthma, and a reportedly 20% of infants expected to have skin problems. Why? These pediatric products have become a part of raising kids today. Talk is talk — we need to get real. Call in the epidemiologists.
Cynical
What a shocker! You mean the problem is bigger than the public imagined? can you say “gulf oil spill?” Will the truth ever come out? Not if JNJ can help it. They’re “too big to fail,” just like the banks and the oil companies. And don’t forget tobacco. Now there’s a valuable contribution to society. Rampant capitalism will eventually destroy our way of life, by continuing to shaft the people in favor of the corporation.
M. Black
Benadryl patches too?
M. Black
Cynical:
PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY
MB