If you live in Maryland and a medication you are or were taking has been recalled, what you should do depends on the specifics of the recall. The first thing to do is to determine what to do to keep you safe and healthy. The recall generally will include guidance on what consumers should do with the impacted product and what steps to take. That means that in some cases, consumers may need to stop taking the impacted drug immediately, but in others, continuing to take a drug may be the safest course of action for the short-term. Patients should also speak with their healthcare provider to determine if there are any alternative medications they could take. After addressing that concern, the next step is to consider any legal recourse you can seek through a Maryland product liability or negligence claim.
When a company issues a recall, the FDA then classifies the recall and oversees the company’s strategy for recalling the drug. The most serious class of recall is a class I recall. Those are recalls in which the product could cause serious harm or death. The next serious is a class II recall, which is for products that pose a notable risk and threat. The lowest level recall is a class III recall, which is for products that violate the agency’s labeling or manufacturing laws but are not likely to cause adverse health consequences.
If a Maryland resident has taken a recalled drug, the patient may be able to sue the drug manufacturer to recover damages. However, it is not enough to show that the patient took the drug. The patient must also show that they suffered injuries as a result.
Thyroid Drugs Recalled
Thyroid drugs were recently recalled after they were found to have posed a risk to pregnant women, newborn infants, and the elderly, according to one news source. Testing revealed that some drugs had levothyroxine levels that were 87 percent lower than indicated on the label. The manufacturer, Acella Pharmaceuticals, LLC, stated that pregnant women and newborn infants with hypothyroidism who take the drug with sub potent levels might experience symptoms of hypothyroidism, which could lead to serious injury in those groups. They could experience symptoms such as a slow heart rate, fatigue, weight gain or difficulty losing weight, and welling of the thyroid gland. The announcement indicated a risk of miscarriage and impairments to the fetus’s neural and skeletal development and fetal hyperthyroidism. For elderly patients and patients with underlying cardiac disease, there is a risk of toxic cardiac manifestations of hyperthyroidism, including palpitations and cardiac arrhythmia.
Have You Been Injured?
If you have been injured by a dangerous or defective medication, contact a Maryland pharmacy error lawyer. You may be able to recover financial compensation for your injuries. At Lebowitz & Mzhen personal injury lawyers, we have the tenacity and resources to pursue all parties responsible for causing your injuries and losses. We represent injured victims throughout the Maryland and Washington, D.C. region. We understand the struggles that you are facing, and we want to help you get your life back on track. To set up a free consultation, call us at 1-800-654-1949 or contact us online today.