Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyer Blog

Health care giant Johnson & Johnson is announcing “another product recall, this one involving Children's Benadryl Allergy Fastmelt Tablets, Junior Strength Motrin Caplets, and Extra Strength Rolaids softchews. ” (AP Medical, 11/23). This recall is at both the wholesale and retail lever. Interestingly, Johnson & Johnson said the medicines still work and that “no action is required by consumers or providers.”

Johnson & Johnson reviewed its manufacturing process after a several recalls last year. In doing so, it found some issues with the Benadryl and Motrin products. For example, “the Rolaids soft chews were recalled because some consumers complained the Rolaids had an unusual texture that J&J traced to crystallized sugar.”

As a products liability attorney in Chicago, I am hopeful that Johnson & Johnson is sure that the defects are not threatening to consumers. Although the recalls do not require action by consumers or providers, and the medicines apparently still work, I would consider purchasing new bottles manufactured after the recall.

Help may be on the horizon as an experimental drug study indicates that it may offer a new way to fight heart disease. (M. Marchione, AP Medical, 11/17). The drug, anacetrapib, “dramatically dropped bad cholesterol while boosting so-called good cholesterol to record levels.” So far, no red flags or safety issues have been recorded in tests of 1”,600 people at high risk of heart disease.”

The drug's maker, Merck & Co., says “it will launch a much larger study to see if these changes in cholesterol lead to fewer heart attacks and strokes.” Doctors discussed these promising results at the American Heart Association conference in Chicago.

As a medical malpractice and products liability attorney in Chicago, I am intrigued by these promising results, but am, as always, hopeful that the necessary tests are complete to ensure the safety of new drugs.

As a medical malpractice attorney in Chicago, I join Medicare’s new chief in his plan to increase the quality and safety of medical care. Medicare's new chief “called for more steps to improve patient safety Tuesday, in the wake of a government report that said one in seven hospitalized Medicare patients is harmed during their stay.” (Washington AP, 11/16).

The new HHS report “analyzed the records of 780 Medicare patients hospitalized in October 2008 to examine mistakes and unavoidable consequences of treatment, such as previously unknown drug allergies or medication side effects.” During that month alone, over 130,000 Medicare patients suffered an adverse effect while in the hospital. Nearly half of these were preventable.

Additionally, about 1,500 patients per month suffered complications from treatment that contributed to their deaths. In response, a new Medicare "innovation center" was opened recently that is “designed to develop and test ways to improve quality of care and lower health care costs for everyone, not just Medicare recipients. The program is one of several established by the new health care law to help Medicare spur improvements in patient safety.”

Initial projects target coordination across multiple health providers so that new providers know what tests have been performed elsewhere. Other goals include increasing primary care quality to reduce the chances that patients end up hospitalized.

Duro Extend Capsules for Men were recalled this week. The drug is manufactured by Intelli Health Products of Miami. The capsules were recalled “because they contain an unapproved new drug analog that may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs, such as nitroglycerin, and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels.” (AP, 11/2). As a products liability attorney, I urge all consumers to cease taking the drug immediately.

This recall is serious, as the recall urges “consumers who have Duro Extend Capsules [to] stop using them immediately and return them to the place they were purchased or contact Intelli Health Products at 1-800-861-6022.” Additionally, any Consumers who are experiencing adverse or odd side effects should contact a physician immediately. Consumers who experience an adverse effects that should report it to the Food and Drug Administration's Med Watch Program at http://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch.

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