It seems as though 2018 is turning out to be a bad year for people across the country, including many here in Ohio, to be on a blood pressure medication. Already this year, the Food and Drug Administration has announced recalls of medications containing valsartan. The recall was expanded in August. In October, two more recalls were announced of drugs prescribed for the same purpose.
Now, the agency and Teva Pharmaceuticals announced the recall of two of its blood pressure medications that also contain valsartan. The first medication is a combination of valsartan and amlodipine. The other is a combination of valsartan, hydrochlorothiazide and amlodipine. As was the case with the other recalls, they contain N-nitroso-diethylamine, an impurity classified as a potential human carcinogen. What that means is that the medications could cause cancer.
Patients may be tempted to simply stop taking their medications, but that could have dangerous consequences. Instead, it would be prudent to contact their doctors to first figure out whether their medication falls into one of these recalls. Thereafter, an alternate treatment plan can be devised in order to ensure that no further harm comes to the patient. Of course, this assumes that the information reaches the patient in time.
Sometimes, patients suffer serious health consequences before the notice of a recall from the Food and Drug Administration reaches them. In those cases, it may be possible to pursue restitution from a party or parties who may bear legal liability for the injuries suffered. A successfully litigated claim in an Ohio civil court could result in an award of damages to help with current and future medical and other needs.
