OT: Tylenol recall expanded to Motrin, Benadryl, more

January 16, 2010

" & issued a massive recall Friday of over-the-counter drugs

including Tylenol, Motrin and St. ph's aspirin because of a moldy smell that

has made people sick.

It was the second such recall in less than a month because of the smell, which

regulators said was first reported to McNeil in 2008. Federal regulators

criticized the company, saying it didn't respond to the complaints quickly

enough, wasn't thorough in how it handled the problem and didn't inform the Food

and Drug Administration quickly.

The recall includes some batches of regular and extra-strength Tylenol,

children's Tylenol, eight-hour Tylenol, Tylenol arthritis, Tylenol PM,

children's Motrin, Motrin IB, Benadryl Rolaids, Simply Sleep, and St. ph's

aspirin.

The FDA and & 's McNeil Consumer Healthcare Products said they

did not know the number of bottles recalled. It included caplet and geltab

products sold in the Americas, the United Arab Emirates, and Fiji.

(...)

The FDA said about 70 people have been either sickened by the odor - including

nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea - or noticed it.

The smell is caused by small amounts of a chemical associated with the treatment

of wooden pallets, & said. The FDA said the chemical can leach

into the air, and traced it to a facility in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico.

(...)

Also on Friday, federal prosecutors in Boston said & paid tens

of millions of dollars in kickbacks so nursing homes would put more patients on

its blockbuster schizophrenia drug.

The government's complaint states that J & J gave special rebates to Omnicare

Inc., the country's biggest dispenser of prescription drugs to nursing homes, in

return for recommendations from its pharmacists that patients be given

Risperdal, in many cases when it was inappropriate.

J & J said in a statement it " will address the government's lawsuit in court " and

believes its rebates were " lawful and appropriate. "

The notice did not say it: the 'chemical' is 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA)

You can check the full list and LOT # to identify the recalled batches here:

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