Acetaminophen Recall

Approximately 11 million bottles of 500 mg. acetaminophen caplets are being voluntarily recalled by Perrigo Company after small metal fragments were found in a small number of caplets. The analgesic medication was sold by more than a hundred well-known retailers including Wal-Mart, CVS, Safeway, Kmart Resource Center, Long's Drug Store and many more. You can check the list of retailers on the FDA website, as well as a list of the 383 lot numbers affected. The recall affects generic acetaminophen and not the brand name Tylenol.

Perrigo's own quality control found the metal fragments. Of 70 million caplets which passed through a metal detector about 200 caplets were found to contain metal fragments ranging in size from microdots to wire portions 8mm in length. So far, there have been no reports of illness or injury from consumers. The FDA has suggested that the probability of serious adverse health consequences is "remote" but if a consumer were to swallow an affected caplet it could cause minor stomach discomfort or cuts to the mouth or throat. The FDA has offered more information on what to do if you believe you have some of the affected caplets.

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