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View Full Version : Duragesic/Fentanyl Patch Recall Announced 2/12/08


icnmgrjill
02-14-2008, 10:56 AM
PriCara™ RECALLS 25 mcg/hr DURAGESIC® (fentanyl transdermal system) CII PAIN PATCHES

Other Strength Patches (12.5, 50, 75 and 100 mcg/hr) Not Affected

Raritan, NJ February 12, 2008 - PriCara,™ Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. said today that all lots of 25 microgram/hour (mcg/hr) DURAGESIC® (fentanyl transdermal system) CII patches sold by PriCara in the United States and all 25 mcg/hr fentanyl patches sold by Sandoz Inc. in the United States are being voluntarily recalled as a precaution from wholesalers and pharmacies.

The recalled patches all have expiration dates on or before December 2009, and all are manufactured by ALZA Corporation, an affiliate of PriCara. The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. All 25 mcg/hr fentanyl patches manufactured by ALZA and sold in Canada also are being recalled.

DURAGESIC 25 mcg/hr (fentanyl transdermal system) and Sandoz Inc. 25 mcg/hr fentanyl transdermal system patches being recalled may have a cut along one side of the drug reservoir within the patch. The result is possible release of fentanyl gel from the gel reservoir into the pouch in which the patch is packaged, exposing patients or caregivers directly to fentanyl gel.

As per the approved product labeling for DURAGESIC, fentanyl is a potent Schedule II opioid medication. Fentanyl patches that are cut or damaged in any way should not be used. Exposure to fentanyl gel may lead to serious adverse events, including respiratory depression and possible overdose, which may be fatal. Anyone who comes in contact with fentanyl gel should thoroughly rinse exposed skin with large amounts of water only; do not use soap. Immediately dispose of affected patches with cut edges by flushing them down the toilet, using caution not to handle them directly. Patches with a cut edge that have leaked gel will not provide effective pain relief.

Anyone who has 25 mcg/hr DURAGESIC or Sandoz Inc. fentanyl patches should check the box or foil pouch for the expiration date to see if they have patches that are being recalled. The recalled patches all have expiration dates on or before December 2009. The cut edge in affected patches can be seen upon opening the sealed foil pouch that holds the patch. Affected patches should not be handled directly.

Anyone with 25 mcg/hr DURAGESIC patches being recalled should call 800-547-6446.

Anyone with 25 mcg/hr Sandoz Inc. patches being recalled should call 800-901-7236.

Patients using fentanyl patches who have medical questions should contact their health-care providers.

DURAGESIC is used to manage persistent moderate to severe chronic pain that needs to be treated around the clock and which cannot be treated by: combination narcotic, short-acting, or non-narcotic pain treatment products. It should only be used by people who are receiving or have developed a tolerance to pain therapy with opioids. DURAGESIC should not be used if patients have pain that will go away in a few days, such as pain from surgery, medical or dental procedures, or short-lasting conditions. Any adverse reactions experienced with the use of fentanyl patches should be reported to the appropriate company using the telephone numbers above. DURAGESIC brand and other fentanyl patches are available by prescription only, through pharmacies, and should be used only under the supervision of a physician.

DUROGESIC™ patches sold in Europe, Latin America and Asia are not affected by this recall.

TerriT
02-15-2008, 09:30 AM
I am so glad I requested Walgreens here to stock the Mylan Patches for me. I have been using them for years, but Walgreens changed several of their generic medications over to Watson, including their patches. Watson is a gel filled pack, I don't know if they are part of the recall, their name isn't listed in the notices I have read, but I didn't care for the gel filled because they are so much larger and I am allergic to the adhesive. The local store said they had several complaints about the change so I contacted the corporate office and now they will carry the Mylan for me.

It pays to complain, they don't care to loose patients who have multiple prescriptions with them, especially if they are insured.

tango
02-18-2008, 09:51 AM
More fentanyl painkiller patches recalled
Posted 4h 23m ago | Comments4 | Recommend5 E-mail | Save | Print | Subscribe to stories like this

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Patches containing the prescription painkiller fentanyl were recalled for the second time in a week Monday, because of a flaw that could cause patients or caregivers to overdose on the potent drug inside.

Sold in the United States by Actavis South Atlantic, the newly recalled patches have both this name and the company's former name, Abrika Pharmaceuticals, on their packaging. The old name is on the pouches that contain the patches and the new name is on the outer carton.

Last Tuesday PriCara, a division of Johnson & Johnson, announced a recall of fentanyl patches manufactured by its affiliate ALZA.

Monday's recall includes 25-microgram-per-hour, 50-microgram-per-hour, 75 microgram-per-hour and 100 microgram-per-hour patches with expiration dates of May through August 2009.

Some of the patches may have a defect that can cause them to leak, putting patients and caregivers at risk of coming into direct contact with the powerful "opioid" drug inside. This could result in difficulty breathing and a potentially fatal overdose.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Monday

The company has not received any reports of injuries related to this defect.

Damaged patches should be flushed down the toilet and not handled. Skin that has been exposed to the gel should be thoroughly rinsed with water, but not washed with soap.

The recalled patches were manufactured for Actavis by Corium International. Activis is a division of Actavis Group.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

sanctuary
08-04-2008, 11:30 AM
I spoke to the manufacturer of Duragesic today about the shortage of the 100 dose patches in CT.. Last month they did have a recall of the drugs because the generic had a recall and it used up all of the 100 Duragesic patches in the state. They are having me use 2 of the 75 patches and one of the 25 dose patches to make the 175 that I usually get. The reason I am writing is because up until I mentioned this to the manufacturer, they basically said, "They didn't know what I could do since they wouldn't have the 100 dose patches available until August 11 for wholesale distributors."...( and my RX runs out tomorrow!!) I just thought I'd share my experience as if you can't get a dose of a patch they come in 12.5, 25, 50, 75 and 100. I have heard of people using upwards of 300 ( 3 patches of 100). In time, after the same dose of many years they CAN stop working, and so an increase would be due for them to work the same way. ( a quote from Duragesic manufacturer) But, I wanted to share the change in that 2 of the 75's can equal a 150 dose patch and one 75 and a one 25 patch can equal 100..in case you also can't get the 100 patches in your state, "until the middle of August". :-(
Just thought I'd share in case some of you come up against the "sorry, you have to suffer with nothing until mid August"...can now suggest a combination of 75 and 25 dose patches to equal 100 dose patch. Just anted to share this w/you. I haven't been in here in a while. ( I had a bad experience with a nut).

mlzippy7
08-04-2008, 12:08 PM
Thanks for the update!!

christinaw
08-10-2008, 11:41 AM
BE CAREFUL with the Mylan patches as well. There are SEVERAL LAWSUITS pending against Mylan re: their generic fentanyl patches. See link for news article: http://olive.dominionpost.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=RFBvc3QvMjAwOC8wNy8xMCNBcjAwMTA0&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

christinaw
08-10-2008, 11:48 AM
Jill,
Please see link in thread about lawsuits pending against Mylan re: their generic fentanyl patch.

sanctuary
08-10-2008, 12:11 PM
I didn't know about Mylan, thanks. Is that another generic patch like Sandoz brand, or the other..( forgot the name_? I only use the Duragesics. Since it took me 4 days to finally get the new RX from the MD, and find the patches driving all over the state, by the time I put it on, I fell asleep for two and a half days. That killed my bladder as you w/IC can imagine..(ouchy) I think my body got used to no patch and being back on 175 suddenly, from nothing, shocked my system maybe? Anyone know?? I have no real idea what I'm supposed to feel, I thought, "Just normal"..I felt awfully sleepy and couldn't wake up..Fine now however..Hope I never have to go through that again.