The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has suspended a major pharmaceutical distributor from shipping or selling certain painkillers and other medications from a Florida facility as part of a settlement with the company. Two Florida pharmacies have also had their controlled substance licenses suspended. The DEA’s investigation centered on large…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a reminder to the public of the danger posed to young children by patches containing the painkiller fentanyl. Young children, largely because of their curiosity, are at high risk of exposure to fentanyl if patches are within their reach. The patches…
A child in Henrico County, Virginia suffered a serious overdose after a mixup of two drugs with similar names caused him to receive a powerful painkiller instead of his intended medication. The child reportedly recovered fully, but required hospitalization and gave his family and doctors quite a scare. Although there…
The founder and chief executive officer of a popular fitness website, Bodybuilding.com, has pleaded guilty in a federal court in Idaho to five misdemeanor counts arising from products sold through the website that the government alleged were “misbranded drugs.” The products allegedly contained various forms of steroids classified as “drugs”…
Three medications with similar-sounding names have caused some confusion, and almost caused some serious injuries, in recent months, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Two heart medications, Pradaxa and Ranexa, have names that resemble each other and PreNexa, a prenatal vitamin available only by prescription. Medication errors with heart patients or…
An Arkansas judge imposed a $1.1 billion fine on Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, after a jury found the companies liable for deceptive trade practices and false claims. The state of Arkansas sued the companies, alleging that they presented false and misleading information to doctors and patients…
Two mothers are suing a pharmacy in Gig Harbor, Washington, claiming that their sons received incorrect dosages of prescription seizure medications. In both cases, the parents claim that the dosages dispensed by Olympic Pharmacy were big enough to be almost fatal for the children. The Washington state Board of Pharmacy…
The family of a Kentucky woman who died after allegedly receiving the wrong prescription medication has sued the pharmacy that dispensed the medication. The two medications have similar-sounding names but very different purposes. The family’s lawsuit alleges negligence and violations of state law that caused or contributed to the woman’s…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on February 24 that Glenmark Generics USA, the North American division of Indian pharmaceutical company Glenmark Generics, Ltd., was voluntarily recalling seven lots of oral contraceptives at the consumer level. The recall is reportedly due to a packaging error, in which blisters…