Acetaminophen recall causes concern

Last week the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalled 11 million bottles of acetaminophen, sold as store brands at CVS Pharmacy, Wal-Mart and more than 120 other retailers nationwide. The 500 mg caplets made by Perrigo Corp. of Michigan were pulled from the shelves because of the possibility that they might contain metal fragments.

A story out of the Montgomery Advertiser reports further details of the drug recall:

According to the FDA, Perrigo reported the problem after discovering that their tableting equipment was wearing down prematurely. Of 70 million caplets passed through metal detectors, about 200 were found to contain metal fragments.

The fragments ranged in size from “microdots” to portions of wire one-third of an inch in length, the FDA said.

Though no injuries have been reported as a result of this defective drug, the FDA and Perrigo continue to monitor the situation.