The Zantac recall was announced recently. In the US, there are several cases where people have ingested Zantac. It is being reported that although this product has not caused any death or injury, nor is it known to have any long term effects, there are concerns regarding safety of use, especially in pregnant women. So in what ways can Zantac be recalled? The recall involves a lot of products, including Zantac Liposome Complex, Zantac Citrate, Zantac Intestinal Relief and Zantac Smart Lipo.
What happens is that the US FDA called upon all pharmaceutical companies to stop producing and distributing various drugs that were being supplied with this drug. A voluntary recall refers to a voluntary recall by the company that is affected. In this case, Zantac recalled some of their products, because they may contain ingredients that could be harmful to people. If you think that your drug is affected by this recall, then you should contact your healthcare provider or go to the FDA directly. However, there are other reasons why this kind of recall may have been declared by the company.
In September, Zantac recalled all of its prescription drug products that contain octane. Octane is a fragrance used in a lot of cosmetics and also in gasoline. This is an extremely strong oil, which can be poisonous if taken in large quantities. Zantac does have alternative products that do not contain octane, but these are not routinely on sale.
Zantac also recalled all of its generic versions of its Liposome Complex. Liposome Complex is Zantac's reference substance for the drugs which are manufactured under license by another company. There had been reports in late October that there might be a generic recall due to the mixing of ingredients in this product. The reason that this generic was recalled is because it contained hydrazine sulfate, which is an ingredient that is commonly seen in medicines meant to treat diabetes. It is a known carcinogen.
Lastly, there was a voluntary recall announced for the acne treatment drugs, Levalaf, which was manufactured by AstraZeneca. The company reported that there have been no reports of serious skin reactions as a result of taking Levalaf, and that the product was distributed in the United States by wholesalers and was distributed to retailers without a prescription. As part of the recall, Levalaf was taken off the market. However, since this was a prescription drug, and therefore subject to the CPT, AstraZeneca has decided to include this drug in its list of medicines that may be contaminated with atrazine.
If you think that you have received a Zantac recall notice, you should contact the FDA through its website. You can report a suspected Zantac adverse event through the appropriate web site or through the agency's toll-free number. You will need to provide the prescription identification number of the prescribed medicine, along with the date and the pharmacy where the medicine was sold. You will also need to describe the symptoms that you have experienced. It is best to do these things as soon as possible, because the earlier you know about a potential Zantac problem, the easier it will be for the agency to act.