The Pearland drug injury lawyers at Denena Points, PC note that drug recalls, especially in relation to compounding pharmacies, have frequently been in the news over the past year. You might have noticed that FDA recalls generally tend to identify the recalled products by lot number. But you might not have noticed that some of your medicine bottles probably do not contain lot numbers, making it difficult to determine whether they might be dangerous in the event of a recall of that drug.
Most prescriptions, more than 80% of them, are for “generic” versions of brand name drugs. This makes the medicines far more affordable to most people. But it also places them in a tight spot if the medication gets recalled.
With generic drugs, pharmacists generally receive the medications in large bottles or containers from the generics manufacturer. That original, large container will have a lot number. But the pharmacist must repackage the medicines into smaller bottles or containers for individual patients.
Our Pearland drug injury lawyers emphasize that most state regulators don’t require the pharmacist to transfer the manufacturer’s original lot number to the smaller, individual packaging. And if the medication later gets recalled and you call your pharmacist to try and learn if your medicine is subject to the recall, he probably won’t be able to trace the original lot number for you.
Learn more about recall roulette and how it could affect your health. Click the link to learn about how compounding pharmacies might refuse to recall drugs that the FDA believes should be pulled for safety.