Ohio residents who rely on the antidepressant called Effexor XR or generic versions of the drug should be aware that three lots of the medication were recently recalled by its manufacturer, Pfizer Inc. According to the report, the recall resulted after the discovery of a single capsule of another medication in a bottle of Effexor.
The capsule that was discovered was a drug called Tikosyn, which is used for the treatment of a heart condition called atrial fibrillation. The drug company stated that the switch may have occurred because the two medications were packaged at the same location and on the same line. While no incidents of this switch have been reported by consumers, the company stated that the ingestion of Tikosyn by someone who does not have the heart condition could potentially cause serious health consequences that could be fatal.
In total, more than 104,000 bottles of the medication have been recalled. Approximately 65,800 of those bottles were on pharmacy shelves. Ultimately, consumers should be aware that the recalled products include 30-count bottles of Effexor XR, 90-count bottles of Effexor XR and venlafaxine 150 mg extended release capsules from a generic drug company that is owned by Pfizer Inc. Generic forms of this medication that are manufactured by other companies were not affected.
When drug companies manufacture and package a medication, they are responsible for the safety of their product. If a medication is improperly packaged and this results in drug injuries to a consumer, the consumer may be advised to file a lawsuit in order to seek compensation for the damages. The compensation that can be sought may include medical costs, pain and suffering and other compensatory damages.
Source: Reuters, “Pfizer recalls antidepressant after report of wrong drug in bottle”, March 06, 2014
