Drug recalls are, sadly, quite common in the United States. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) records show that such events occur once a week. It can be downright frightening when it happens to the prescription you are taking, especially if you rely on it to remain alive. You may be wondering what you should do when such an issue occurs. In this post, we answer, “do all drug recalls need to be taken seriously?”. Different drug recall classes exist, which we also cover.
Not all medication recalls are of equal urgency. Some recalls happen because of labeling issues. However, others occur due to medication mix-ups or because patients have adverse reactions that could be life-threatening.
Drug Recall Classes
There are different drug recall classes. The most serious of all types are Class I ones. The FDA places any dangerous or defective prescription drugs that have the potential to cause serious health problems or death in this class.
Class II Drug Recalls
Class II recalls are the most common. The FDA places any prescription drugs that it believes may cause a patient to suffer from a temporary health problem into this recall category. Federal officials believe that these types of drugs only pose a small risk of serious harm to patients.
Class III Drug Recalls
Class III is the least serious of all recalls. The FDA places any prescription drugs that violate FDA manufacturing or labeling regulations into this recall category. Federal officials believe that these drugs are unlikely to cause a patient to have an adverse health response.
When a Drug You’re Taking is Recalled
Recalls are tricky. You may put your health and life at risk if you continue taking a recalled prescription drug. You may suffer serious health implications or die if you do stop taking it, though. We recommend that you contact your doctor if federal regulators or manufacturers recall the prescription drug that you’re taking. They can advise you whether to discontinue taking your prescription drug or switch you to something different that may be safer.
If you have experienced an adverse reaction or complication due to taking a drug recall, then you may be entitled to monetary relief. The amount of financial compensation you may be eligible to receive will be contingent upon the harm that you suffered from taking the drug. An experienced pharmaceutical injury attorney will want to learn more about what happened to you before advising you of what legal action you should take in your case.
