Many people here in Ohio and across the country take prescription and over-the-counter medications that they believe to be safe. The Food and Drug Administration recalled two of those drugs prescribed for high blood pressure this year. The fact that these recalls affected a large number of people created an opportunity to remind consumers what to do if a recall is issued or they suffer ill effects from a medication.
In many instances, the recall does not pose any serious health threats to consumers. They are due to defective or misleading packaging or labels, mislabeled medications or contaminated ingredients. Even though these types of issues could affect the health of a consumer, they are ordinarily not life threatening.
Some recalls, though, are life threatening. When Ohio consumers discover a medication they take is under recall by the FDA, they might panic. However, that could actually make matters worse.
If the medication is an over-the-counter drug, consumers may just stop taking it and return it to the place of purchase for a refund in most cases. If it is a prescription medication, things get a bit more complex. Patients should contact their doctors to determine whether their particular batch is subject to the recall and whether they should continue taking it in spite of the recall. When it comes to certain medications, stopping abruptly may do more harm than the reason the medication is recalled.
The problem is that some recalls issued by the Food and Drug Administration do not make it to consumers in time. Serious health consequences may occur before anyone has the necessary information. In those instances, it may be possible to pursue compensation for the injuries and financial losses caused by the defective and/or dangerous medication.
