Check any prescription or over-the-counter drugs taken by you or your pets. If any of them carry the Akorn brand or were made by Akorn for another brand, that medication got recalled Wednesday.
Akorn makes over-the-counter and prescription drugs for people and pets, some of which get repackaged by private brands. Their array of products includes lidocaine ointment, acetaminophen and codeine solution, fentanyl citrate to be injected, artificial tears and various animal drugs. The full list is here in a seven-page pdf file.
All the drugs were recalled because all the employees were laid off after Akorn Operating Company declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Feb. 23. No employees means no quality control.
As Akorn’s risk statement in its FDA-posted recall notice says: “The discontinuation of the quality program would result in the company’s inability to assure that products meet the identity, strength, quality, and purity characteristics that they are purported or represented to possess, which renders the products adulterated. While specific risks to patients from use of these adulterated products cannot always be identified or assessed, it is also not possible to rule out patient risks resulting from the use of such products.” Translation: The drugs might be fine and dandy, but Akorn can’t be sure they’ll work, can’t be sure they’re not contaminated and can’t be sure of what they’ll do to you.
If you have these drugs, toss them out and call your medical professional. Consumers with questions regarding this recall can contact Akorn at 800-932-5676, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Eastern time.
If you’ve had any medical problems from this or any other drug, first see a medical professional. Then let the FDA know via its MedWatch Adverse Event page or by filling out a form you can get by calling 800-332-1088.
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