Johnson & Johnson Duragesic Pain Patch Flaw Recall

Johnson & Johnson Duragesic Pain Patch Flaw Recall:
A recall has been issued by Johnson & Johnson and Novartis AG's Sandoz on 25-microgram-per-hour patches with expiration dates on or before December 2009.

It was found that a manufacturing problem led to some of the patches having a cut in the internal reservoir lining. This cut may cause a leaking problem of the patch. The danger is if anyone touches a defective pain patch they may be delivered a dose of the prescription painkiller fentanyl which may lead to breathing problems or even an accidental overdose.

Back in December the FDA issued a safety warning on the Duragesic patch, citing improper use may cause breathing difficulties and death. The FDA continues to work with J & J on this voluntary recall and is investigating this latest issue.


Fentanyl

Fentanyl is an opium-derived pain reliever first synthesized in Belgium in the late 1950s. It is a powerful narcotic that is almost 100 times stronger than morphine. It was first used in the 1960s as an intravenous anesthetic, but its medical use was strictly regulated as it is one of the most potent drugs ever created.

There are four main types of fentanyl in medical use today. Most are for constant delivery of pain relief and used to combat the excruciating chronic pain associated with many types of conditions. The most common type of use for fentanyl is in treating chronic pain with the Duragesic Transdermal Patch, a small device applied directly to the skin that releases a specific amount of the drug every hour.

The health risks stemming from Duragesic and fentanyl include respiratory problems, cardiac troubles, and even death.

Like any other prescription drug, Duragesic patches and fentanyl will have unfavorable side effects. These consequences could include rare circumstances like vision loss or more common complications such as impaired breathing. It is important for patients to be fully aware of the different side effects Duragesic patches and fentanyl may have on their bodies.

Side effects include:

Death
Hypoventilation
Fentanyl Overdose

Janssen Pharmeceutica discovered a potentially catastrophic flaw in their extremely popular Duragesic Transdermal Patch that could result in a leak and lead to a dangerous overdose of the narcotic fentanyl. If you've been affected by the recall, your health - and potentially your life - could be at risk.

Janssen speculated that there were over 2.2 million patches in the recalled lot numbers, with up to 22% still in use. This colossal error on the part of the manufacture exposed thousands of people to potentially fatal overdoses, but also painful withdrawal inducing underdoses. A lawsuit against the drugmakers can help prevent this from happening in the future.