Medicine Recalls

In the news lately there have been a number or stories of product recalls concerning children's items. You hear about carseats, baby formula, baby food, strollers, and carriers, but the one that should really catch your attention is when it involves children's medicines. We routinely switch between Children's Tylenol and Motrin as recommended by our child's pediatrician. The Pediatrician is the one person that we trust when it concerns your child. So where do you turn? Who do you trust?

The latest medicine recall involved children's Tylenol and Motrin in the liquid form. It covers a wide range of liquids from regular Tylenol to allergy medicine such as children's Zyrtec and Benadryl. Evidentially, these medicines may contain tiny particles, increased concentration amount of medicine or "inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements". What you may ask are the inactive ingredients that may not meet testing, they are BACTERIA. That's right, bacteria was found. There have not been any reported deaths or hospitalizations resulting from children taking the contaminated medicines, but the FDA feels that it is best that they discontinue it and pull it off the shelves. It is also recommended to use generic branded medicines for the time being.

Now just because we are adults, it doesn't mean that we are in the clear. There have been numerous over the counter medicines recalled from Tylenol in the last few years and a complete list of them can be found here. Please be sure to check your medicines cabinet tonight and flush it if you happen to have some of the contaminated medicine that I had. One bright side is that if you do have some of the medicines on the list, go to this website and enter in your information to receive coupons or a refund. It only takes a few minutes to do so, and at least they are offering some form of compensation and accepting responsibility for their actions. It is the least they can do for being a leader in making children's medicines.

So now comes the most important question, "Who can we trust when it comes to recommending products for our children"? There is always a risk with being a doctor or nurse as the rate of malpractice lawsuits seems to climb more and more each and every year. I personally wouldn't do it because they were only their job. You asked what to give them and they told you. They didn't knowingly get a memo saying that this medicine is bad and then start pushing it out to every patient that visits, but I bet that there are a few walk-in type clinics where the gifts that the doctor got for pushing XYZ medicine makes him feel compelled to give you a certain brand of medicine isn't necessarily the best medicine for the ailment that you went in for. It happens, and it is a lucrative business. But I doubt that it happened here with a $4.00 bottle of children's Tylenol.

I urge you to check and make sure that your medicine is safe and when giving medicine to your small children to watch them and immediately take them to the hospital if the symptoms get worse.....It even says it on the bottle. Be Safe!