11 Million Bottles Of Acetaminophen Recalled

Drug Alert, Nov 10, 2006

Earlier today, the drug manufacturer Perrigo recalled more than 11 million bottles of acetaminophen due to possible contamination with small but potentially harmful pieces of metal. The names of stores that purchased
these pills from Perrigo and a list of the affected batches are listed below. If you have purchased any of these products, return them for a complete refund.

This is the 33rd recall of Perrigo's products since the beginning of 1998; 16 of those were issued in the past two years alone.

This incident raises some alarming questions:

• Why do large drug store chains continue to buy from Perrigo?
• Why hasn't the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the public's first and strongest line of defense against unsafe medications, been more vigilant in preventing the substandard manufacturing processes that lead to many of these recalls?
• Why, even in the face of 33 recalls, does the FDA lack the authority to fine drug companies for such problems?

To adequately protect the public, Congress should pass emergency legislation to give the FDA the authority to enforce safety regulations.