Medical Injury Lawyer Blog : Houston Medical Injury Lawyer & Attorney : Arnold & Itkin Law Firm : Pharmaceutical Injuries, Medical Devices : Texas, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio

Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that it is recalling one lot of Propafenone HCL 225 mg tablets because they may contain a more intense dose of the active ingredient than is needed. The recall affects a single lot of the tablets that was shipped between October 15th and November 26th of 2008.

Propafenone is used in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, including conditions associated with accelerated heartbeat, like ventricular and atrial arrhythmias. However, it can be dangerous if not used as prescribed. The drug is believed to increase the risk of dangerous arrhythmias if taken by patients who have an underlying heart disease. Patients who suffer from liver problems, asthma, or bradycardia are also advised to avoid Propafenone. The long term effects of the drug have not been extensively researched. Even minor over-dosage of Propafenone has been found to have serious effects. Patients who take even small quantities of the drug above the prescribed limit could experience a drop in blood pressure and arrhythmias.

Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. says they are voluntarily recalling the lot of tablets to prevent any risk to patients due to over dosage. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been informed of the recall and the company has asked patients who are in possession of the 225 mg tablets to check the container and see if the tablets belong to the lot being recalled. Consumers should return the recalled tablets by calling the company. Any adverse reactions should be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch program. Patients currently using 225 mg Propafenone HCL tablets have been asked to contact their physician if they have any questions.

Last year, Ethex Corporation announced a recall of over sized morphine Sulphate, Propafenone HCI, and other tablets because they contained twice the necessary amount of the drug. Those over sized tablets caused morphine over dosage injuries and resulted in several medical injury lawsuits filed by medical injury lawyers against Ethex. Also, medical injury lawsuits continue to be filed against Mylan Pharmaceuticals over double strength Digitek tablets that contain extra dosages of the active ingredient Digoxin. 

Injuries Caused by Defective Drugs

Over dosage due to a defective pharmaceutical drug containing a greater amount of the active ingredient than is necessary is entirety preventable by the company if it follows stringent manufacturing and quality control processes. There is no excuse for releasing batches of drugs that expose users to dangerous effects of over dosage because of careless errors made at the manufacturing plant.  

If you've been inured by the use of recalled Propafenone HCL tablets manufactured by Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc., contact a medical injury lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free consultation.

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Generic drug manufacturer, Ethex Corporation, has suspended the manufacturing and sales of dozens of defective pharmaceutical drugs from its line, including several brands of isosorbide mononitrate, amlodipine and nitroglycerin, among others.

The company, which is a subsidiary of St. Louis-based KV Pharmaceuticals, took the step after inspections of the company's facilities by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This second massive recall comes just a few months after the company announced a recall of some of its products in 2008. The earlier recalls were the result of several anomalies in the manufacturing of drugs, including oversized tablets that contained twice the required amount of the drug. The extra sized tablets included Morphine Sulphate Extended Release, Morphine Sulphate Immediate Release, Propafenone HCI, Isosorbide Mononitrate Extended Release, Hydromorphone HCI tablets, and Dextroamphetamine Sulphate. There have been several medical injury lawsuits already filed against the company related to morphine over-dosage, due to the oversized morphine tablets. Morphine over-dosage can lead to decelerated heart beat, disorientation, confusion, lightheadedness, fainting and convulsions.

The new recall by Ethex includes almost the entire line of drugs manufactured by the company. The products recalled include generic versions of the pain killer OxyContin, anti-depressant medication Toprol XL and cough medicines.  Most of the drugs have been recalled from wholesale agencies, while some have also been recalled from retailers.  A press release issued by the company asks patients who are using the medications to continue using them due to the health risks of suddenly stopping the medication. The company has also asked patients to consult with their doctors and be observant for any side effects; any side effects noticed should be reported through the FDA's MedWatch program.

Hiring a Medical Injury Lawyer

When it comes to injuries caused by unsafe pharmaceutical drugs, it is important to save the bottles or containers of the medication. We advise you to discontinue use of the medication after consulting with your doctor and talk to a medical injury lawyer. It's important to hire an attorney who has an established record of pursuing and winning claims against major pharmaceutical companies. The medical injury lawyers at Arnold & Itkin LLP have successfully represented dozens of victims of unsafe pharmaceutical drugs. 

If you have been injured by the use of a defective drug, contact a medical injury lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free evaluation of your claim.

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