Pharmaceutical research and the prescription of medications for what ails a patient is a big business in the United States. Each year millions of Americans suffering from a variety of conditions are prescribed drugs to treat what ails them. While they help many of them recover from an illness or manage a chronic health condition, you may wonder what role your pharmacy plays in getting you information about unsafe medications.
Types of recalls that exist
When it comes to recalls, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has three classes of them.
A Class I recall is the most serious of all. Any patient that uses a medication of this sort has a reasonable risk of being left with serious health problems or being killed.
Class II recalled medications have the potential of causing health consequences that are either medically reversible or temporary. They have a remote possibility of putting an individual’s health in serious danger.
An individual who takes a Class III recalled medication has a limited risk of suffering adverse health consequences by doing so.
What pharmacies do about recalls
Stores like Rite Aid and Walgreens try to be proactive in letting customers know about recalled medications. They send customers letters in the mail or call them depending on what class of recall is issued for it. When they make contact, they try to provide customers with any information that they know about the reason for the recall as well as directions for how to return it to the store or dispose of it.
A store like CVS/Caremark has an in-house team that constantly keeps an eye out for recalls issued by the FDA. They make sure that recalled medications are removed from their stores and they contact health care professionals and patients to notify them to discontinue their use of them. They additionally keep a real-time list of newly recalled medications on their website for customers to consult on their own time.
From the diabetes drug Invokana to prescription opioids to the blood thinner Xarelto, these are just some medications that have been cited as causing patients adverse side effects in the past. Recalls generally only occur after several reports of a medication causing harm.
If your health has deteriorated from using one of these or another medication, then a Houston pharmaceutical injury attorney can advise you of your right to seek damages.
