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43 OTC Medicines for Infants and Children Recalled
Forty-three over-the-counter medicines made for infants and children-including liquid versions of Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec, and Benadryl-are being recalled by Johnson and Johnson/McNeil. This voluntary recall (announced by McNeil Consumer Healthcare), affects hundreds of thousands of bottles of medicine in homes and on store shelves throughout the U.S. and its territories and in nine other countries. A complete list of recalled products is on the following website: http://www.mcneilproductrecall.com/page.jhtml?id=/include/new_recall.inc
The FDA is advising parents and caregivers to stop using the affected products. The FDA said the plant's manufacturing process was "not in control," a term regulators used to describe flawed procedures that affect the composition of medicines. They also said that deficiencies have persisted for some time.
McNeil said: "Some of the products included in the recall may:
- Contain a higher concentration of active ingredient than is specified;
- Contain inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements; and
- Others may contain tiny particles.
The problems may affect 'purity, potency or quality'."
Generic versions of the affected medicines by other manufacturers are not affected by the recall and can be used in their place. (Editor's Note: If a shortage of the generics exists, then compounding may be an option�see below.)
This is at least the third major recall of Tylenol products by McNeil since 2008. In January, McNeil recalled 49 types of Tylenol products made for adults and two Tylenol products made for children. In 2008, McNeil recalled 21 types of children's and infant's Tylenol liquid products.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2010/05/01/AR2010050103051.html
Desperate Americans are Illegally Buying Drugs Online from Canada
The high costs of prescription drugs have resulted in many Americans looking for other ways to afford their medications. For many, cheaper prescriptions are just a mouse click away. There is an estimated 1 million Americans each year who buy their medications online from Canada.
Even though buying medication online from other countries is illegal, a group representing Canadian online pharmacies is seeking to get the word out about safely buying their drugs over the Internet. Because prescription-drug costs in the U.S. are among the highest in the world, many Americans seek alternative sources for their medications (says the general manager of the Canadian International Pharmacy Association). The association states that it is important for people to know that buying drugs online from a source you can trust is an available alternative, especially for people on fixed incomes. This organization represents licensed retail pharmacies that sell drugs to both Canadian and U.S. citizens. Member pharmacies sell medications made by leading name-brand manufacturers at prices that are often considerably lower than their U.S. counterparts. The association also verifies that members meet necessary standards and requirements for safety.
As the Canadian group is working to create greater awareness of ordering drugs online from our northern neighbor, the FDA is warning consumers against it and reminding Americans that it is against the law. However, an FDA spokesperson says the FDA rarely enforces the law against those who are buying the drugs for personal use.
Some Internet sites may be bogus Canadian sites that aren't from Canada but originate in other countries, and these sites may sell drugs that are expired, counterfeit, or do not contain any or enough of the active ingredient it claims to have.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/os-drugs-canada-online-20100502,0,2523797.story
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